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In 1874, James Nasmyth and James Carpenter published a remarkable book: The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite. Lavishly illustrated with spectacular images of lunar features […]

THE FAMED ANDROMEDA GALAXY, or M31, draws attention at public star parties not only because it is the nearest major member of the Local Group to our Milky Way but [...]

The article explores the question of whether Earth is the only planet capable of supporting life. Some scientists argue that Earth is unique and that complex life is rare in the universe, while others believe that habitable planets are common. The debate centers around the requirements for complex life to evolve, including factors such as the type of star system, the presence of a large moon, plate tectonics, and a stable atmosphere. The article also discusses the concept of habitable zones and the limitations of current data in understanding the prevalence of Earth-like planets. Ultimately, the question of whether Earth is exceptional in the cosmos remains unanswered. [Extracted from the article]

HUMANS HAVE WONDERED about life in the universe since antiquity. Early Greek philosophers argued that the cosmos contained 'a plurality of worlds.' Today we know that exoplanetary systems are indeed [...]

HUMANITY HAS LONG LOOKED AT THE STARS and dreamed of what kind of life might exist elsewhere in the universe. In their book Extraterrestrials: A Field Guide for Earthlings (Camden [...]

Few technological advances have impacted astronomy as much as the digital revolution. That's been true in the professional realm since the 1980s, and it's been true for amateur astrophotographers like [...]

THE FOUR LARGE satellites of Jupiter, discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei, have been viewed by more people than any other planetary satellites besides the Moon. They are favorites at [...]

Historic Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, is commonly associated with two notable astronomical bodies: Mars and Pluto. Percival Lowell, who was determined to study the Red Planet and its putative [...]

The 24-inch refractor that stands atop Mars Hill in Flagstaff, Arizona, holds a special place in the annals of astronomy. It was built by the renowned firm of Alvan Clark [...]

Those of us old enough to have cut our teeth on film-based astrophotography can't help but feel a twinge of envy at how easy it has become to capture impressive [...]

These days the pages of Sky & Telescope are packed with colorful views of solar system bodies. Many come from spacecraft, of course, but amateur observers around the world also [...]

IMAGINE SPENDING 12 DAYS AND NIGHTS observing under pristine skies, surrounded by stunning scenery, unique artistic, gastronomic, and cultural delights, and extremely friendly people. Would you feel like you've died [...]

The July/August 2014 issue of the Skeptical Inquirer, which focused on science and religion, underscores once again the common threads among unquestioned faith, pseudoscience, and putative extraterrestrial influences on humanity. [...]

As solar system exploration continues at a remarkable pace, we might one day soon finally answer the question of whether or not there was (or still is) life on Mars, or perhaps even on Venus or some of the tantalizing "water world" moons of the gas giant planets. Although Mars was always the most alluring planet, its small disk meant it was a tricky target for amateur scopes. Amateur telescope making in the U.S. began in the 1920s with contributions by Russell W. Porter in Popular Astronomy (who described a homebuilt Newtonian reflector as the "poor man's telescope") and by Albert G. Ingalls in Scientific American. PHOTO (COLOR): TELESCOPE BAIT Detailed views of the Moon and planets enticed many amateurs to purchase Cave Astrola telescopes. [Extracted from the article]

WHOOPEE! They're in! You pick up a batch of your latest astrophotos from the processor. Your blood is racing like overheated oil in a V8 engine. You can't wait to [...]

In my letter ('Those Illusory Canals,' November/December 2018), I erroneously cited philosopher David Lewis's 1986 book On the Plurality of the Worlds, rather than astronomer Camille Flammarion's 1862 work titled [...]

In an 1887 speech that was reprinted in the January and February 1888 issues of The Sidereal Messenger, Newcomb confessed that so far as astronomy was concerned, "we do appear to be fast reaching the limits of our knowledge." Flammarion, Todd, and Newcomb all dealt expansively with visible solar phenomena, especially sunspot frequency, size, and shape, in their public writings. Newcomb also described his observations of the transit of Venus in Astronomy for Everybody, concluding that the planet's atmosphere is "so full of vapour that we cannot see the light of the Sun by direct refraction through it." Newcomb was a prolific writer and frequently penned popular astronomy columns for McClure's Magazine, some of which served as the basis for his 1902 book Astronomy for Everybody. [Extracted from the article]