Observatories
Climate Change is Making the Atmosphere Worse for Astronomy
Modern astronomical telescopes are extraordinarly powerful. And we keep making them more powerful. With telescopes like the Extremely Large Telescope…
Japan Suspends its Funding for the 30-Meter Telescope
Japan has suspended its funding contribution to the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) in Hawaii. An international consortium is behind…
Good-bye Spitzer. We’ll Miss You But We Won’t Forget You.
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has reached the end of its life. Its mission was to study objects in the infrared,…
Great News! The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Might be Named for Vera Rubin
The U.S. House of Representatives have passed a bill to change the name of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST.)…
Ep. 534: Modern South African Astronomy
You know the drill now. Last week we talked about ancient south African astronomy, and so this week we'll talk…
Ep. 528: Modern Astronomy of the American Southwest
Last week we talked about the ancient astronomy of the American Southwest. But this is actually Pamela's stomping grounds, and…
First Cosmic Event Observed in Both Gravitational Waves and Light
About 130 million years ago, in a galaxy far away, two neutron stars collided. The cataclysmic crash produced gravitational waves,…
Rise of the Super Telescopes: Why We Build Them
The Super Telescopes are set to advance our understanding of the Universe, and it can all be traced back to…
Rise Of The Super Telescopes: The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope
When the WFIRST observatory comes online in the mid 2020s, it will take images 100 times larger than the Hubble.
Rise of the Super Telescopes: The Giant Magellan Telescope
The Giant Magellan Telescope is being built in Chile by a consortium of nations. It should see first light in…