Happy International Year of Astronomy! Capitalizing on the fact that 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s earliest telescopic forays into the night sky, the International Astronomical Union ...

This is my final Observing Basics column. Since I’m not one to do things in a small way, I’ve decided to hold this press conference to answer any questions you may have about my 20-year stint here.

This is a course in basic astronomy, which will provide an overview of our current understanding of the universe around us. Topics will include the origin of the universe, galaxies, stars, planets, ...