Feature Articles Archive

"Take Two" on KPCC features Sidewalk Astronomers

"Mojave Desert star parties unite space lovers together under the stars" story by Caitlin Esch, features great quotes from Jane and Mojo at the Mojave National Preserve dark sky party.

Spring dark sky star party featured in the La Canada Valley Sun

Our Spring 2013 dark sky party at Mojave National Preserve attracted record attendance and spawned this great article in the La Canada Valley Sun by Tiffany Kelly

Yosemite Nature Notes - Night Skies

Gorgeous video featuring jaw-dropping time-lapse photography of the night sky from Yosemite National Park. Jane and Mojo from the Sidewalk Astronomers are featured prominently.

Photos from International Observe the Moon Night, Oct. 8, 2011

Stephen Coleman joined us to observe the moon on International Observe the Moon Night and captured some great natural-light images of astronomers and accidental astronomers.

Iapetus: East is Least and West is Best

(Updated for 2011!) Jane outlines an observing project for Saturn's strange two-colored moon Iapetus.

January observing, a Monoceros evening

Brief story from our favorite desert observing location, with pictures and astrophotos.

A Ten Planet Night

Jane writes an observing report from a desert night that featured ten planets.

Snakes, Tortoises, and Stars

Story and photo album (with some ultra-cute tortoise video) of our "Herping Star Party" in Mojave National Preserve, April 25, 2009

NASA Video on Star Parties for IYA 2009

This three-minute NASA video produced for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 features astronomers from the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers at our observing site in Monrovia.

Song, Telescope Man by Robert Cesarone and Northern Cross

Bob Cesarone of JPL moonlights as an acoustic musician, and wrote this song some years back for his favorite telescope man, John Dobson. This link is direct to the MP3 file.

Photo album from the Lights Out Pasadena event

The sky was clouded out, but it didn't stop us from having a good time, talking about lighting and telescopes. (Mojo finally did something we've been accused of for years – just showing a picture.)

Catch Some (Lunar) Rays

Jane observed the Hesiodus sunrise ray during a sidewalk session, and writes about observing these fun lunar phenomena.

Crepuscular Rays at Bryce Astronomy Festival 2007

Jane's article on this fascinating sky phenomenon we saw at Bryce Canyon.

2007 Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon Trip

Jane and Mojo travel to the North Rim and Bryce Canyon for a week of astronomy with John Dobson and Barry Peckham