November 27, 2009

Back in Buisness

Hey everyone,

I know its been a pretty darn long time since you’ve seen a post on here and the website views sure to show it! I had sadly forgotten my login credentials as some had to hack into my specially created e-mail account for AstroTwitter. Though I now have everything back, and soon will be able to post! So keep your eyes open, more to come soon!

October 30, 2009

Off for Vacation

Hello everyone,

Elias here! I wont be able to blog much about any events for some time as I am at AIC (Advanced Imaging Conference) and on “vacation” so I have decided I should take a total brake.

Blog posts will start back again after Monday, November 9, 2009.

Thanks!

More info can be obtained through my twitter account, @ksastro

-Elias

October 22, 2009

#GalileanNights LIVETelescope

Are you sad that the skies are cloudy in your location? Thinking that GalileanNights just might be a bust?

Don’t be, Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope is broadcasting his “Clear” skies” LIVE over the internet. To join in on this Fantastic “webcast” simply go to http://virtualtelescope.bellatrixobservatory.org/galinights/ and join in on the fun!

October 21, 2009

“What are you doing tonight?”

Except for jamming out to some #ClubTwitter tunes right now with @astroengine and @NewburyAS, there will be a “AstroTwitter” related Radio Broadcast tonight!

Starting in only a few hours (8PM EDT) Adrian West (@NewburyAS) and Myself (Elias, @ksastro) will be on Astronomy.FM Radio with Tavi Greiner (@TaviGreiner). The Topic is #Moonwatch, #GalileanNights, The upcoming “NASA TweetUp” and astronomical outreach in general. You can join us at by going to, http://astronomy.fm/, and if you sign up (or have) a AFM account you can join in on the chat and ask us questions! (But who wants to do that right? ;) )

Though of course we understand some of you might not be able to make it tonight, or you might be reading this post a few thousand years in the future (by which our cockroach overloads have taken over). So Tavi and her partner Rob will be kind enough to record and post the interview on their amazing blog, “A Sky full of Stars“.

After our interview, yet another fantastic event takes place, the “MyMoon Webcasts”. In which Dr. Tony Colaprete, Principal Investigator of the LCROSS mission will present us with the latest results from the LCROSS impact of the Moon. To join in on the webcast, simply go to, http://nasa-nai.acrobat.com/colaprete and click join! The tweets about this webcast will have the #LCROSS tag included. (Webcast Starts at 8PM EDT)

Now if that is still not enough astro-goodness for you, or maybe you finally got home and have time to enjoy some. We still have the #Orionids Meteor Shower! If you have clear skies you can head outside and enjoy the view of the near winter constellations, while taking in a 50 meteors an hour ZHR rate!

Maybe now you have your astronomy fix for the night! Though since we are just starting to have fun, we are about to blow one of the biggest events “in your face” (Metaphorically speaking, we won’t really blow it in your face)

#GalileanNights starts Thursday (00:00UTC)! Meaning tweets from events all around the world will start coming in using the hashtag #GalileanNights! Even though MOST events don’t start until Friday and Saturday, there are going to be a bunch of LIVE Telecsope Streams, images of “early” star parties and of course some Live Blogging on the Cosmic Diary.

Be sure to join us for all of these events and more! Live coverage of each event will be though our Twitter Accounts @ksastro and @AstroTwtr while of course posting Periodic Updates here on the Blog.

All the best everyone! Hope to hear from you during one of the events.

-Elias

October 21, 2009

#GalileanNights

Alright, I know we might all be hyped up about #Moonwatch but we can’t forget the Amazing event, which is #GalileanNights.

Being an official Cornerstone project of the IYA2009, it commemorates Galileo’s Observations of the moon, Jupiter, Pleiades, and many other celestial objects. Starting on Thursday, October 22nd people all around the world will be tweeting, broadcasting, and blogging about/from their events. Now of course some broadcasts are better than others (*Cough* Galilean Nights – Kansas *Cough*) while some twitter feeds maybe be blank, we can not give you an exact amount of people tweeting about their events. Though we know for sure that the official Twitter account of Galilean Nights, @GalileanNights will be tweeting about events all around the world!

More information on GalileanNights in general and for finding an event near you be sure to visit, http://www.galileannights.org/

Hope to hear from you during #GalileanNights,

-Elias (@ksastro)

(Psst, don’t forget the Galilean Nights Kansas Ustream Channel!)

October 17, 2009

#Moonwatch is just around the Corner

Are you ready for an action packed twitter event full of astronomical images, hundreds of “tweeting” astronomers, LIVE webcasts, and Q&A’s?

If not you better get prepared, because the Newbury Astronomical Society’s, #Moonwatch Part 2 is just around the corner! Officially starting October 26th and ending October 28th #moonwatch is the worlds Second Online-global star party. During the event many different Twitter accounts will be “tweeting” LIVE Images of the Moon, Jupiter, and other Celestial objects. While of course answering questions for any that are curious about our Universe! :)

Tweets for the event will start the weekend prior to the start of the event (Galilean Nights weekend, 23/24). While again the event officially starts October 26th! Be sure to join in by following @NewburyAS @ksastro@astronomy2009UK @Zarquil @AstroMe@Dewbow and many more!

More Details and event follow ups will be posted here, once available.

More details are available on:

http://www.astronomy2009.co.uk/

http://newburyas.wordpress.com/

October 7, 2009

@LCROSS_NASA Impacting the Moon

For those of you that don’t already know, we are about to witness one of the most exciting things to happen in our solar system. (At least we think so) We get to watch the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) impact (Crash into) the Lunar Surface.

Though this event is not visible to the naked eye, and not visible world wide, all will be able to watch it. Many organizations/clubs have taken part to record this event. Though few have taken the next step and decided to Broadcast/Webcast this event LIVE for all to see! Now this is not really relating to Twitter but most of those who watch the impact either through their own telescope, or watch online will surely be tweeting before the impact and after. The official Twitter page for LCROSS, @LCROSS_NASA will most likely be covering the entire event.

We surely hope that all will be watching the Impact, so we have created/are creating a list of websites on which you can watch the impact LIVE:

SLOOH Feed (Two webcasts, Arizona, New Hampshire)

Exploratorium Feed

NASA TV

September 23, 2009

PATS2009-Twitter account

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Finally we have created the twitter account for the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, @PATShow2009. If you can’t go this year don’t be sad you can still follow along with LIVE images, information, interviews, and much more! So just be sure to follow @PATShow2009!

More information and schedule of events will be tweeted/posted in the following Days.

Event Date: 9/26-27/2009

September 21, 2009

#PATS2009

PATS 2009

During the last few days we have been looking for our next event! Sadly it was not very easy, but after a few days of thinking we have came up with an idea, #PATS2009.

#PATS2009 is based on the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, which premiered in September of 2008 with large crowds of amateur astronomers enjoying dozens of presenters, exhibitors, and vendors. This year hundreds (if not thousands) of people astronomy friendly or not will enjoy talks by astronaut Rusty Schweickart, Astronomy Magazine’s Stephen James O’Meara and many more! Along with Solar Telescope viewing, vendors, workshops, and of course the company of fellow astronomers and Astronomy enthusiasts.

Sadly none of the current AstroTwitterers are attending PATS, but we have one volunteer who might be able to tweet while at the event! Hopefully his Blackberry along with his computer will work while within the Pasedena Convention Center, if not we might have to just cancel #PATS2009! =( So we are looking for any one who will be attending the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show to please contact us! Send a tweet to @AstroTwtr or an e-mail to moopytheastronomer@yahoo.com.

Hopefully all will work out with #PATS2009! More information including Twitter accounts participating will be posted once known of.

September 13, 2009

#SloohNights

Elias Jordan (@ksastro) hosted a new AstroTwitter event tonight called, #SloohNights. Elias used the popular online accessible Slooh Telescopes to take astronomical images along with a group of astroimagers and posted them LIVE on twitter. He had a range of images from galaxies to the moon and from star clusters to nebulae, every type of object was “tweeted” as he received and took the image. Once the sun rose in Tenerife, Canary Islands (Where the telescopes are located) he stopped his image feed, and told all that he guarantee’s he will host many more #SloohNights.

So what makes #SloohNights so special from the other AstroTwitter events for us and Elias? Well, its because it is operated entirely online no one must ever go outside. So even if its cloudy in ones location it will most likely be clear in anothers (in this case tenerife).  This is why we will surely host more #SloohNights, so if you are interested in hosting a #SloohNight for yourself or just helping out, send Elias an e-mail at: moopytheastronomer@yahoo.com or a tweet to @ksastro.

Hope to hear from you during an event!

All the best,

Elias Jordan

Images from #SloohNights September 12/13 2009:

M31/Andromeda Galaxy & Meteor/Satellite Credit: Elias Jordan; SLOOH

M31/Andromeda Galaxy & Meteor/Satellite Credit: Elias Jordan; SLOOH

M31 in Color Credit: Elias Jordan;SLOOH

M31 in Color Credit: Elias Jordan;SLOOH

NGC6992 Eastern Veil Nebula Credit: Elias Jordan;SLOOH

NGC6992 Eastern Veil Nebula Credit: Elias Jordan;SLOOH

Barnard 33/Horsehead Nebula Credit: Elias Jordan;SLOOH

Barnard 33/Horsehead Nebula Credit: Elias Jordan;SLOOH

The Moon Credit: Elias Jordan;SLOOH

The Moon Credit: Elias Jordan;SLOOH

M34/X Cluster Credit: Elias Jordan;SLOOOH

M34/X Cluster Credit: Elias Jordan;SLOOOH

More #SloohNights images and full high resolution images can be obtained by clicking here.