In the past few days, I’ve had the pleasure to learn about a woman in Chicago who is truly taking the ideals of astronomy outreach and education to heart. Her name is Audrey Fischer, and she’s a member of the Chicago Astronomical Society . Currently, Audrey is working on two proposals to help spread astronomy education and get children excited about this science. And she’s allowed me to share with you one idea that I find just fascinating. It’s called...

Astronomy magazine selected the Cincinnati Observatory Center (COC) as the winner of the 2008 Out-of-this-World Award for outstanding programming. COC separated itself from the pack with its “40 Telescopes” program. They intend to present forty 8-inch Dobsonian telescopes to local science teachers and high-school students. To receive a telescope, a teacher or student must submit an essay of how the telescope will be used, go through at least two training...

My fellow editors and I are reading through entries for Astronomy ’s annual Out-of-this-world award for outstanding astronomy programming. I’m impressed with how helpful you amateur astronomers are to your community. I’ve been to a few star parties (one at the Grand Canyon and another outside Austin, Texas), and both times everyone I encountered was more than willing to help me around the sky and let me look through their telescopes. I’m one of those...

Here’s some interesting news sent to us from Warren Westura, an amateur astronomer and member of the United Astronomy Clubs of New Jersey (UACNJ). Seems they’ve got themselves a truly magnificent new telescope, a 48-inch reflector donated by the U.S. Air Force! Get this: It’s surplus equipment from the Reagan-era “Star Wars” missile defense research program. This is something any observer in Warren’s neighborhood should know about. Here’s his letter...

I have to commend Andrew Fraknoi and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific on a great new web resource that came across my desk yesterday. “Women in Astronomy: An Introductory Resource Guide to Materials in English” is an excellent index for astronomy and history enthusiasts who want to learn more about how the female gender has impacted our study of the universe. It contains print and web references for the general topic of women in astronomy,...

I’ve never been a fan of Home Depot. My typical experience involves trying to locate an employee for assistance, only to find an apathetic teenager who doesn’t know a coupling from a chicken coop. I do my best to avoid Big Orange in favor for my local mom-and-pop hardware store. Despite my disdain for Home Depot, I have to tip my hat to Big Orange. The chain recently agreed to provide a new roof for the Custer Institute in Southold, New York. The...

Bob Schneider, the administrator of the Astronomical League Webmaster Award, announced the winners of the group’s annual contest. First place goes to Del Gordon of the Huachuca Astronomy Club . Besides providing information about the club and its events, he uses the site to promote the people in the club. “I believe that the people are what make the club,” Gordon told Astronomy . In the future, he wants to improve the site’s interactivity and encourage...

Back in March, I wrote about Astrocast , a non-profit web channel that produces videos on astronomy. The show is designed to reach anybody with an interest in the sky, who may have seen astronomy information on television or the web and wants to learn more. This is an exciting time for the hobby. Before, interested people had to rely on magazines, books, newsletters, or group meetings as their resources. Now, we also can tap into video and audio files...

Marlon Cowart (right) presents Bob Shutan with the the LakeSky Star Award. LCAS The Lake County Astronomical Society (LCAS) is based in northeastern Illinois, just across the border from Astronomy ’s home state of Wisconsin. The group’s outreach efforts have helped reveal the mysteries of the universe to the general public in both states. Through its LakeSky Star Award, the LCAS recognizes “individuals and/or organizations that make a distinctive...