By Emmanuele Sordini
Astronomy: reports
20 August 2009
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On January 4, 2009, it was very cold, but crystal clear and sunny. I could not pass up this opportunity, and decided to go snowwalking with some friends on top of Monte Penna, one of Ligurian Apennines most famous and prominent peaks (el. 1735 m); the conditions were really favorable also for trying to put together a panoramic view of the gorgeous landscape we enjoyed from up there.
2009 is the International Year of Astronomy. Finally an unmissable, long-awaited opportunity has come: that of sharing the knowledge and passion for the wonders of the Universe with the general public. I am a not a professional astronomer, but as a long-time amateur, I am really excited about it. For this reason, I will strive to give my small yet passionate contribution to this big collective effort!
Ok, I know: I should have written this post more than a month ago. But I’ve been very busy lately and I have to process my backlog of work, including new updates to this website. After all, they say better late than never So, here we go: the 2008 edition of the Devoxx conference (formely JavaPolis: by the way, why the heck did Sun have this name changed?) was held (as usual) in Antwerp, Belgium, from December 10th to 12th, […]
On May 1st, 2008, I managed to take this shot of Saturn, most likely the last of this season (which has been haunted by really bad seeing conditions) until the Ringed Planet emerges back from sunlight next winter. All data are in the picture.
Nowadays, high-resolution imaging of the solar system bodies is one of the few sectors of astronomy where amateurs can still make their significant contribution not only from a purely esthetical, but also from a scientific standpoint. However, this type of activity is very demanding and unforgiving of even the tiniest flaw, as every single bit of the instrumentation (from the optics to the imaging detector) is pushed to its limits. The Gladius is a telescope specifically optimized for high-res imaging. […]
