Traces asteroid discoveries by amateurs from the 19th century to the present. The importance and necessity of amateur work are noted, especially with reference to observing and documenting occultations (one object passes directly in front of another which is farther away). Suggestions are made for viewing asteroids as a hobby. (DH)

This work inaugurates a critical inquiry into whether the ideas of Karl Popper, a philosopher of science, are used by astronomers and astrophysicists, a practicing community of scientists. It examines four basic components of Karl Popper's philosophy falsification, prohibition, simplicity, and risk taking and the extent that these themes become…

Described are the contributions of 15 women astronomers to the modern understanding of the stars. Discussed are early women pioneers, early spectrographic studies, and recent women astronomers. A list of 29 references is included. (CW)

Professional astronomers use specialized software not normally available to students to determine the rotation periods of asteroids from fragmented light curve data. This paper describes a simple yet accurate method based on Microsoft Excel[R] that enables students to find periods in asteroid light curve and other discontinuous time series data of…

A high school student builds a simple drive mechanism for making extended photographic exposures of star clusters. Second and third place winner's projects are described. (EB)

The use of trigonometry in making astronomical calculations prior to the invention of logarithms is discussed. (JT)

Discussed contributions to the field of astronomy made by ancient Egyptians. Provides examples of how some of the observations made were applied to science. The use of geometry is illustrated by several calculations of celestial alignment. (TW)

Discusses the reasons for identifying the contributions of women astronomers in introductory textbooks. The evolution of inclusion over the past 4 decades is explored by examining the rates of inclusion of 10 women astronomers in textbooks. Contains 100 references. (DDR)

Bibliographic guide of women astronomers and their work. Includes general references on women in astronomy, as well as specific women astronomers including Baliunas, Bell Burnell, Burbidge, Cannon, Faber, Fleming, Furness, Geller, Herschel, Hogg, Huggins, Klumpke Roberts, Leavitt, Maury, Mitchell, Payne-Gaposchkin, Ride, Rubin, Sitterly, Tater,…

In the 1930s, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar found a fundamental parameter that determines the density of stars. Although recognized as a major discovery, it was generally unaccepted by astronomers because the work was ridiculed by a preeminent astronomer (Arthur Eddington). The controversy and current understanding of stellar evolution are discussed.…

Describes a project that enriches astronomy lessons with hands-on activities facilitated by an astronomer. The project links professional and amateur astronomers with middle-level classroom teachers and informal educators. Families and community organizations are also involved in the project. Provides information on how to join the ASTRO network.…

In this Best of "Knowledge Quest" monograph, the editors have collected seminal articles to support pre-service and in-service school librarians in developing and strengthening the instructional partner role. "Instructional Partnerships: A Pathway to Leadership" provides readers with background knowledge, research-based…

The study indicates that jobs in astronomy have become severely limited in the last few years, with a near balance between supply and demand of astronomers. The following issues are assessed in this study: the current supply of astronomers in the United States, and its change as a function of time; the background and make-up of astronomers in the…

An astronomer gives teachers tips on learning how to look at the night sky then on passing along personal instruction to students. Presents ideas for finding information through astronomers at colleges, science museums, planetariums, research observatories, and on the World Wide Web. Contains a resource list and foldout poster of galaxies with…