Galileoscope

Source: SETI Institute Press-release MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – For the first time, an Earth-sized planet has been found in the habitable zone of its star. This discovery not only proves the existence of worlds that might be similar to our own, but will undoubtedly shape future investigations of exoplanets that could have terrestrial surface environments. The new-found body, orbiting the red dwarf star Kepler-186 and designated Kepler-186f, is the fifth – and outermost – world to be discovered in this system. The... read more ❯

If you read this blog, I am certain that you are aware of the Venus Transit which occurred  from  22:09 UTC on 5 June 2012 to 04:49 UTC on 6 June (3:09pm to 8:49pm PDT). Because this astronomical event was visible from North America, Europe, and part of Africa & Asia, and it was streamed around the world from several observatories, it has been most likely one of the most observed and advertised astronomical phenomena, so I had to write a short personal post about it. A planetary transit occurred when a planetary target (here Venus) is passing in front of another one (here the Sun). An observer located on... read more ❯

I am forwarding on this blog an email fron Steve Croft that was sent to our public list of the astronomy department at UC-Berkeley. Our department will be hosting on Friday October 23 a "Galilean Nights". You are all welcome, I will try to be there, considering that I am attending a workshop at UC-Berkeley the same day.We have exciting news about a special event that we are hosting on Friday evening, October 23 in celebration of "Galilean Nights". We've obtained 65 "Galileoscope" kits, a simple but high-quality telescope with which you can view mountains on the Moon, the phases... read more ❯