Tag Archives: International Year of Astronomy

Austin Planetarium

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It’s a good year to try and raise enough to build an Austin planetarium. But the mere two thousand contributors, thus far, isn’t impressive. For that matter, planetariums aren’t that impressive. Fun to attend once in a while, if the lecturers can make it engaging. Otherwise… Even the Houston planetarium is reduced to showing stuff about the Titanic. There was a group years ago, probably not this same one, that wanted to buy an inflatable planetarium and move it around to community events. It never came off. I’ll wish this one better luck.

NASA’s full-court press

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Eight full-size school buses fit in the nose shroud of the Ares V rocket NASA wants to use to send astronauts back to the moon, according to the space agency. Or a telescope about four times wider than the Hubble with, consequently, a much bigger light-gathering mirror. Theoretically, this is all about the International Year of Astronomy. But it might also have something to do with the skepticism recently raised by Barry’s aides about NASA’s back-to-the-moon plans. Or not.

Via Space Weather.