DALLAS, TX (March 11, 2024) – The “Sun, Moon, and You Total Solar Eclipse Viewing” is coming to Cotton Bowl® Stadium at Fair Park on Monday, April 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST. This one-of-a-kind free, public event will provide opportunities to learn about solar eclipses, the Sun, and solar-monitoring efforts at the […]
ROCKWALL, TX (April 6, 2014) It’s not easy being people. From the middle school hallways where the first signs of social friction between jocks, nerds, dweebs, debs and loads (my lexicon is probably dated) becomes apparent, to our rise into adulthood, we all struggle at different levels. Eventually we deal with things like jobs and […]
(November 20, 2012) There is a rich history of astronomy in America, although much more contemporary than, say, the ancient Persian and Chinese practitioners of this field. Known as “astrologers” in ancient times, these (almost exclusively) men frequently held seats of great power in dynastic and even feudal governments. Since America has only been a […]
On 29 March, 2012, the Sun came back to life for many of us who pay attention to such events. Active region AR1429 rotated back onto the Earth-facing Sun on its northern hemisphere. In this case, the Sun is like a giant conveyor belt moving from our left to right. The last time the sunspots […]
Our Universe Today seems to be earning its readership. Here’s how you can tell if people read your columns. Based on prior experience writing for a publication whose name rhymes with Periled Tanner, I call this the “Snap Guy” hypothesis and it goes like this: Whenever you are out and about in the community, you […]
What is time? If someone owns an auto repair shop, they probably receive panicked phone calls at odd hours from family and friends asking to fix a broken vehicle. Similarly, doctors and lawyers are sometimes asked by family and friends for their advice on how to starve a cold and avoid a lawsuit, respectively. Amazingly, […]
…and not be disappointed. Part II: The Telescope Tube In part II of this story, we will address the optical tube, the telescope – the thing you put your eye in so as to see into space (stars, nebulae and galaxies, or near space, planets). (If you missed Part I, you’ll want to go here before reading […]
…and not be disappointed. Part I: The Mount Hopefully if you are one of those special people with a newfound interest in amateur astronomy and have gotten this far, you know the Golden Rule of Telescope Purchase. For those of you starting here, the Golden Rule is: DO NOT BUY A TELESCOPE AT A DEPARTMENT […]
Howdy!* Looks like I’m the newest columnist here at the Blue Ribbon News. Our family is into our second decade of living in Rockwall and I’m very passionate about astronomy. Since my personal mission statement (it’s on my astrodad website so it must be true) is to elevate the human condition by increasing our sense […]