Travelogues, Part 2: Cape Town, South Africa

This summer has included a LOT of travel. Here is the next installment of my travelogues! (See also, Part 1) (As usual, all writing on this blog is solely my opinion and does not reflect the attitudes of any of my projects, institutions, colleagues, etc…) June 22: Day 1 in Cape Town We met upContinue reading “Travelogues, Part 2: Cape Town, South Africa”

Conference Travel: URSI Day 1

Warning, much radio astronomy geekery ahead! Wednesday was the first day of the National Radio Science Meeting in Boulder, CO. As I did two years ago, I spend most (if not all) of my time in Commission J: Radio Astronomy. This means fully geeking out in my favorite wavelength regime in astronomy. (Though, as JeffContinue reading “Conference Travel: URSI Day 1”

UVa’s McCormick Observatory Celebrates Quasquicentennial!

Okay, that word makes me giggle. Quasquicentennial. It means 125 years, and that’s how old the McCormick Observatory at the University of Virginia is on April 13 (tomorrow)! Many people know it on Grounds as that dome on O-Hill if they’ve hiked or run the trails back there. Other students have been there for aContinue reading “UVa’s McCormick Observatory Celebrates Quasquicentennial!”

Astronomical Tales to be Told!

So, I just finished watching, and being very entertained by, “The Pluto Files,” a NOVA special by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Go watch it. Seriously! I’ll wait… There was a part where Clyde Tombaugh’s son was showing off some of his father’s homemade telescopes, including one that had an axle of a Buick. And I thought,Continue reading “Astronomical Tales to be Told!”

AAS Reports: The Allen Telescope Array

The first official day of the conference, my collaborator and I spent quite a bit of time hanging out at the poster group for the Allen Telescope Array. Although they work at a different frequency regime than we do (check out my PAPER episode at 365 Days of Astronomy for more about our project!), weContinue reading “AAS Reports: The Allen Telescope Array”

AAS Wrap-up: Personal Perspective and the Big Stories

What a crazy ride! I am finally recovered, mostly, from the big American Astronomical Society meeting in Washington, DC, that occurred last week.  What a ride! For me, the conference started off with a teaching workshop put on by the Center for Astronomy Education on interactive learning methods in “Astro 101.” As I start toContinue reading “AAS Wrap-up: Personal Perspective and the Big Stories”

Dragon*Con Post-Op

Holy. Frakkin. Wow. So, I attended, no, experienced my very first Dragon*Con. It was on a scale of something that I have never seen before. Tens of thousands of freaks and geeks, many in costume, descended upon downtown Atlanta to laugh, squee, drink, and just be themselves (or whoever they want to be) for aContinue reading “Dragon*Con Post-Op”

My Philly-Atlantic City-New York-Poconos Experience

My webernets presence has been pretty sparse lately, as I’ve been away from home and on the road for almost a week and a half.  And I had a blast! So much so that I’m having trouble readjusting to being home.  So here’s the recap for those who care. (If you don’t give a darn,Continue reading “My Philly-Atlantic City-New York-Poconos Experience”

News from the Radio Spectrum

The life of a grad student gets pretty crazy from time to time, but I’m excited about returning to blogging as things cool down a bit.  As mentioned in my last post, I’ve got a list of fun things that have caught by attention recently, so I hope to churn those out in time!  Today,Continue reading “News from the Radio Spectrum”