Articles written for Cosmotography
Following is a list of links to original, fully illustrated articles that appear exclusively on Cosmotography:
The Big Deal About Dwarf Galaxies
Every galaxy resides at the center of an enormous bubble of dark matter several times larger in diameter and many times greater in mass. Dwarf galaxies, the small cosmic Lego bricks that combined to form the galaxies we witness today, contain greater proportions of dark matter than large spirals. As a result, dwarf galaxies give astronomers a better opportunity to study dark matter and its effects.
Scattered like diamond chips across the Cosmos, stars look deceptively serene to earthbound observers. However, nothing could be farther from true because each one is a creature of unimaginable violence. Constant and unchanging, the nighttime stellar canopy appears essentially the same to us as it did to the ancient Greeks. But, this perception is misleading because, like people, even stars follow a cycle of birth and death.
The Formation and Evolution of Galaxies
When astronomers peer into the heavens, they also look back in time. So, when scientists observe a galaxy that's a billion light-years from Earth, they are also seeing how the star system appeared a billion years in the past because light from the galaxy took a billion years to reach their instruments. This transforms telescopes into time machines that enable astronomers to explore ancient cosmic history. However, unlike earthbound archeologists who study old rocks, astronomers examine fossils made of primordial light.
The Cosmic Cycle
Nothing brightens the cosmos like a supernova. The demise of a star releases enormous quantities energy and material that's like pollen for a new generation of stars, planets and life itself. This article explores the life and death of stars.
A Burst of Starlight
Most galaxies produce a hand full of new stars each year. But, thousands of stars are formed when a galaxy experiences a starburst event. This article explores the origins of these tumultuous episodes, their connection to dark matter and their role in the evolution of the Universe.
Dusty Veils of the Wilky Way
Floating high above our home galaxy, microscopic dust assembles into vast, thin sheets resembling cirrus clouds on Earth. Read how these veils partially block and confuse our view of star systems beyond the Milky Way.
Spiral Galaxies Devour Their Satellites
Current cosmological models augur galaxies grew and evolved over time by merging with one another. Guest author Markus Pössel of the Max-Planck Astronomical Institute discusses recent research providing the lastest evidence to support these assertions.
This article examines interstellar nebulae, the birthplace of stars.
A Singular Place
Just a few decades ago, many scientists considered them mathematical curiosities while others accepted their existance but believed them rare. Now, most scientists believe black holes are common and have played a fundamental role in the evolution of the Universe. Read how our perceptions have changed.
The Model Universe
Much of our current understanding about the Universe is predicated on sophisticated mathematical computations. Learn how predictions made by these computer intensive simulations inspire researchers to obtain corroborating observations.
Stellar Tidal Streams in Spiral Galaxies of the Local Volume: A Pilot Survey with Modest Aperture Telescopes
This article describes an international team of professional astronomers who have enlisted amateur astrophotographers to conduct the first statistical survey of star streams around galaxies near the Local Group.
You Can't Believe Your Eyes
Read why science has concluded 75% of the Universe is invisible!
A Glimpse of the Early Universe
The deepest ground based image provides a view reaching 13 billion years into the past, just after the birth of the Universe. Read how this record breaking picture was produced.
Greetings from Spain
The author describes his once in a lifetime opportunity to collect data with the historic, 2.5 meter Isaac Newton Telescope on Tenerife.
Articles written for popular magazines
Following is a list of links to articles written for leading astronomical magazines:
Layering Image Contrast, Sky and Telescope, June 2011, page 72- 75
Remote Viewing, AstronomyNow, January 2011, page 84- 85
The Art of Science, Beautiful Universe 2010, page 38- 39
Galaxy Archaeology with Amateurs, Sky and Telescope, January 2009, page 92- 98
Articles written for Universe Today
Between early 2006 and 2007, a weekly article inspired by an exceptional astronomical image from a world class astrophotographer was featured at the Universe Today, the daily space and astronomy blog/web newsletter. Unfortunately, some of the accompanying images were lost when the web site went through an interface upgrade. Regardless, here's the complete list:
The Orion Nebula, photo by Robert Gendler (January 27, 2006)
M-81, photo by Tom Davis (February 3, 2006)
M-82, photo by Russ Croman (February 13, 2006)
The Sombrero Galaxy, photo by Adam Block (February 19, 2006)
Nova RS Ophiciushi, photo by John Chumack (February 27, 2006)
Comet Pojmanski c2006-1a (March 5, 2006)
The Vela Supernova Remnant, photo by Loke Kun Tan (March 13, 2006)
'Spacecraft Quality Imagery from Earth' featuring Jupiter's Great Red Spot Jr., photo by Mike Salway (March 20, 2006)
Veil Nebula Complex, photo by Johannes Schedler (March 13, 2006)
'Space Bubbles' featuring Abell 34, photo by Jim Misti (April 3, 2006)
'The Shape of the Universe' featuring Leo 1, photo by Bernhard Hubl (April 9, 2006)
Zodiacal Light, photo by Tony and Daphne Hallas (April 17, 2006)
The Ring Nebula, photo by Stefan Heutz (April 24, 2006)
Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann, photo by Andrea Tamanti (May 2, 2006)
'Globular Beacons' featuring Omega Centauri, photo by Bernd Flach-Wilken and Volker Wendel (May 8, 2006)
Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann's All Star Show (May 11, 2006)
The Large Magellanic Cloud, photo by John Gleason (May 15, 2006)
'Where Violence is Routine' featuring The Whirlpool Nebula, photo by Robert Gendler (May 22, 2006)
'A Rose is still a Rose' featuring NGC 4631, photo by Bernd Wallner (May 30, 2006)
'Earth's First Long Distance Call' featuring M13, photo by Cord Scholz (June 5, 2006)
'The Scale of our Galaxy' featuring a Sagittarius Wide Field View, photo by Tom Davis (June 13, 2006)
'Where all Things Lead' featuring M83, photo by Michael Sidonio (June 20, 2006)
'Are These Colors Real?' featuring Just North of Antares, photo by Steve Crouch (June 26, 2006)
'Star Shells' featuring The Crescent Nebula, photo by Nicolas Outters (July 5, 2006)
The Goldilocks Variable in the Dumbbell Nebula, photo by Stefan Heutz (July 12, 2006)
'Galactic Dust' featuring The North American and Pelican Nebulae, photo by Don Goldman (July 18, 2006)
'Galactic Canabalism' featuring Centaurus A, photo by Johannes Schedler (July 26, 2006)
Star clusters NGC 6755 and 6756, photo by Bernhard Hubl (August 3, 2006)
'Computerized Telescopes' featuring The Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635), photo by Karel Teuwen (August 9, 2006)
'The Moon's Origin' featuring Plato and the Alpine Valley, photo by Mike Salway (August 16, 2006)
'Unsung Female Astronomers' featuring Fleming’s Triangular Wisp, photo by Steve Cannistra (August 24, 2006)
'The Unexpected Consequences of Edison's Bulb' featuring Star Trails over Namibia, photo by Josch Hambsch (August 28, 2006)
'The Colors of Deep Space Nebulae' featuring the Stellar Nursery NGC 7129, photo by Bob Allevo (September 7, 2006)
'Constellations' featuring The Iris Nebula, photo by Tom Davis (September 14, 2006)
'A Brief History of Optical Instruments' featuring NGC 7048, photo by Stefan Heutz (September 21, 2006)
'Why Space is Dark' featuring NGC 3324, photo by Brad Moore (September 29, 2006)
'Unlocking the Composition of Universe' featuring The Cocoon Nebula, photo by Dan Kowall (October 9, 2006)
Comet c/2006- Swan Song for a Comet, photos by Andrea Tamanti and Bernhard Hubl (October 13, 2006)
'Exo-Planet Myths' featuring The Witch Head Nebula, photo by Richard Payne (October 23, 2006)
'Astronomical Seeing' featuring the Soul Nebula, photo by Frank Barnes III (October 27, 2006)
Black Holes featuring M83 (November 8, 2006)
'An Order of Magnitudes' featuring Van den Bergh 152, photo by Giovanni Benintende (November 24, 2006)
'See You Yesterday' featuring The Great Andromeda Galaxy- M31, photo by Takayuki Yoshida (December 5, 2006)
'Animals of the Earth and Sky' featuring The Horsehead Nebula, photo by Filippo Ciferri (December 18, 2006)
'Astronomical Robotics' featuring the Orion Deep field, photo by Robert Gendler (January 4, 2007)
Reviews written for Universe Today:
Book Review: Making Every Pixel Count, Vol. 1-3 (December 14, 2006)
Book Review: Astronomical Image Processing Tutorials (January 12th, 2007)