Free Astronomy Magazine – September-October 2024 Issue Available For Reading And Download

Above: One doesn't need a complete Dyson Sphere to collect Dyson-level solar energy. In the above, a Dyson Swarm would work just fine (and it has a nice Utility Fog-ish thing going on). From wikipedia.

The most recent issue of Free Astronomy Magazine (September-October 2024) is available for your reading and downloading pleasure in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and Arabic at www.astropublishing.com (and facebook).

"We're reporting on Webb, Webb, Webb, Webb, Hubble, and Webb."

"Hubble is off!"

"Then we'll report on Webb, Webb, Webb, Webb, Webb, and Webb."

A poor take on a Monty Python skit

I would have found a way to pay for the JWST cost overruns myself at this point. Speaking of costs (free magazine or not), I note that the number of events (and advertisers) have nudged upward as of late, with notable events including:

The original article for this issue is a deep-dive into the findings, and possible relevance, of the work published in the article “Dyson sphere candidates from Gaia DR3, 2MASS, and WISE.” A notable remark by our fearless leader Michele lies in the sentence:

"Today, we know that the growing efficiency of technologies, the miniaturization of components, and the development of nanotechnologies allow for increasing energy savings."

www.astropublishing.com/5FAM2024/

When considering with the amount of accessible solar energy we currently do NOT use…

"A total of 173,000 terawatts (trillions of watts) of solar energy strikes the Earth continuously. That’s more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use."

phys.org/news/2011-10-vast-amounts-solar-energy-earth.html

It's quite an exercise to think of what a civilization might be trying to accomplish by harnessing the entirety of a star's output that hitherto unknown physics might not somehow make easier.

Browser-readable version (and PDF download): www.astropublishing.com/5FAM2024/

Free Astronomy Magazine – January-February 2024 Issue Available For Reading And Download

Above: A side-by-side comparison of the Crab Nebula as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in optical light (left) and the James Webb Space Telescope in infrared light (right). The Hubble image was released in 2005, while astronomers have recently used Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to reveal new details of the Crab Nebula. Hubble Image: NASA, ESA, J. Hester, A. Loll (Arizona State University); Webb Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, T. Temim (Princeton University).

The most recent issue of Free Astronomy Magazine (January-February 2024) is available for your reading and downloading pleasure in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and Arabic at www.astropublishing.com (and facebook).

Michele Ferrara's cover story ("Is the universe really 26.7 billion years old?") ends with the following question:

Let us conclude by asking ourselves a question: “Is it credible that a century of cosmological studies, which have seen among the protagonists some of the best minds ever, have led to underestimating the age of the universe by almost 50%?”

Michele Ferrara, Free Astronomy Magazine

Soon after proofing the article for the final edition of the issue, "some blogger…" Dr. Ethan Siegel (who had single-handedly saved the lives of myself (when I was doing it) and hundreds of other astronomy club newsletter editors by providing fantastic content for free via the Night Sky Network and ye olde NASA Space Place (back when it was the host for those articles). And may I furthermore plug Ethan's also-fantastic interviews on The Space Show)) posted to twitter the year-end summary "The 10 most overhyped physics and astronomy claims from 2023" (subtle), which includes the quite-topical July 18th article "Is the Universe 13.8 or 26.7 billion years old?" That article closes as follows (sorry to ruin it for you if you didn't read it, but read it anyway for the details):

The Universe might not be fully understood, but its age is definitely 13.8 billion years old, and absolutely cannot be 26.7 billion years old based on the evidence at hand.

Ethan Siegel, Starts With A Bang

We shall hold our breath and see what future data reveals.

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Free Astronomy Magazine – September-October 2023 Issue Available For Reading And Download

Above: A truly marvelous sight as posted to a truly marvelous site – a sight site site sight. A part of the Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud complex, as featured as the 13 July 2023 APOD. To his credit, ASRAS member Nick Lamendola managed a fine catch of the same region as posted to his flickr album. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (STScI), Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI) – a sight site site sight cite.

The most recent issue of Free Astronomy Magazine (September-October 2023) is available for your reading and downloading pleasure in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and Arabic at www.astropublishing.com (and facebook).

An issue complete with a wide variety of space science news from the Earth's surface to as far beyond as we can observe. I'm pleased to report the next issue will feature an article on Webb's varied detection of organics (and some extra commentary on why that matters) by yours truly.

Browser-readable version (and PDF download): www.astropublishing.com/5FAM2023/