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Astronomy Magazine
Senior Editor	Michael Bakich
Categories	Amateur Astronomy
Frequency	Monthly
Publisher	Kalmbach Publishing Co.
First issue	August, 1973
Country	United States
Language	English
Website	www.astronomy.com
ISSN	0091-6358

Astronomy (ISSN 0091-6358) is a monthly American magazine about astronomy. Targeting amateur astronomers for its readers, it contains columns on sky viewing, reader-submitted astrophotographs, and articles on new developments in astronomy and astrophysics that are readable by nonscientists.

Contents 1 History 2 Articles and columns 3 Popularity 4 Cost 5 External links

Astronomy is the largest circulation (and most widely read) magazine about the science and hobby of astronomy in the world. Based near Milwaukee in Waukesha, Wisconsin, it is produced by Kalmbach Publishing Co. Astronomy’s readers span a range of those interested in learning about the latest developments and discoveries in the science, and also active hobbyists who want to know about coming sky events, observing techniques, how to take pictures of celestial objects, telescope tips, and so on. Its readers span a range from novices to professional astronomers, although the magazine’s editorial approach prides itself on clarity, and ease of understanding for beginners and intermediate readers. The magazine’s editor is David J. Eicher, managing editor Dick McNally, art director LuAnn Belter, and publisher, Kevin Keefe.

Astronomy was founded in 1973 by Stephen A. Walther, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and an enthusiastic amateur astronomer. The first issue, August 1973, consisted of 48 pages with five feature articles and information about what to see in the sky that month. With the position statement, "The World’s Most Beautiful Astronomy Magazine", issues showcased beautiful astrophotos and superb illustrations created by astronomical artists who could paint realistic scenes out of reach of spacecraft and earthbound telescopes. Walther had grown up in the Milwaukee area and taken jobs in public relations after college, always at least dabbling in astronomy, his passion. He worked part time as a planetarium lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and developed a keen interest in photographing constellations. Astronomy magazine, his creation, lived on, but sadly Walther did not. With the magazine catching on rapidly, Walther threw a party for contributing writers, photographers, and sponsors in the summer of 1976. Beside a pool, surrounded by drinks and hors d’oeuvres, Steve Walther collapsed, insensible. He died the following year, the victim of a brain tumor.

Reeling from the loss of leadership, AstroMedia Corp., the company he had founded to publish Astronomy, brought in Richard Berry to become editor and Robert Maas to take the publisher’s helm. Together, Berry and Maas forged Astronomy into a solid, respectable, and exhilarating package showcasing the best astronomy had to offer throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. Berry and his coworkers lorded over one of the most exciting periods in the history of modern astronomy, covering the Voyager missions to the planets in spectacular detail. They guided the magazine through the period in which it became the largest circulation astronomy publication in the world — larger than the long-established, conservative Sky & Telescope; larger than the Japanese leader, Tenmon Gaido. Berry also engineered the creation of an offshoot magazine, Odyssey, aimed at young minds, and the specialized quarterly publication Telescope Making, a significant force in the heyday of the Dobsonian revolution.

In 1982, David Eicher, the magazine’s present chief editor, arrived on the staff as an assistant editor. From his upbringing in Ohio, he brought with him Deep Sky Monthly, a magazine for amateur astronomers focused on viewing star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies — objects beyond the solar system — and relaunched it as a quarterly magazine titled Deep Sky. AstroMedia had gone through several rented offices and now had its own distinctive stone building near Milwaukee’s lakefront. The forty people who worked for AstroMedia consisted of a dozen or so editors and many other personnel — marketing, circulation, advertising, and so forth. The whole place had the feel of an extended family, a loose astronomy club that came together every morning to make a magazine.

Throughout the early and mid 1980s, the magazine continued to grow in circulation and editorial and graphic quality. At mid-decade, Milwaukee hobby publisher Kalmbach bought Astronomy, and incorporated it into their line of magazines, which included Model Railroader and Trains. Astronomy moved across town into the Kalmbach building and ramped up for the 1986 appearance of Halley's Comet, the event of the decade, as well as the shock of the Challenger disaster. Current Senior Editor Richard Talcott, an important creative force at the magazine, joined the title during this period.

With the end of the decade, Astronomy moved to Kalmbach’s new headquarters building in suburban Milwaukee. Soon thereafter, Richard Berry left the magazine and Robert Burnham, longtime associate and senior editor, took over as chief editor. Kalmbach discontinued publishing Deep Sky and Telescope Making magazines, and sold Odyssey. The magazine covered such spectacular events as the collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 and Jupiter, and featured numerous photographs from the repaired Hubble Space Telescope. The late 1990s brought two spectacular comets, Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake, and astronomers debated the existence of life on Mars with the supposed discovery of microbes in a Martian rock. During the mid 1990s Astronomy created its now vastly expanded and popular web site, Astronomy.com.

In 2002 Eicher became chief editor of the magazine, and it has continued to improve and influence the hobby and science as the dominant magazine in the market. Recent major events of coverage have included the 2003 Columbia disaster, the doings of rovers on Mars, the Cassini spacecraft at Saturn, Huygens landing on Saturn's moon Titan, and Deep Impact slamming into Comet 9P/Tempel 1.

The Astronomy staff currently produces several special interest publications each year as well. These have included Explore the Universe; Beginner’s Guide to Astronomy; Origin and Fate of the Universe; Mars: Explore the Red Planet's Past, Present, and Future; Atlas of the Stars; Cosmos; and 50 Greatest Mysteries of the Universe. In addition, the magazine is published in a Brazilian edition in Portuguese, Astronomy Brasil.

In 2008, Astronomy magazine will celebrate its 35th anniversary with a variety of special publications.

Astronomy features numerous articles pertaining to the hobby and science of astronomy. Generally speaking, the front half of the magazine addresses science results from both ground-based telescopes and spacecraft missions, while the back half of the magazine presents items of interest to hobbyist astronomers. Science articles cover such topics as cosmology, the Milky Way galaxy; galaxies; the solar system; planetary exploration; stars and their lives; extrasolar planets; the history of astronomy; profiles of professional astronomers; comets; dark energy; black holes; the Big Bang; asteroids; life in the universe; and planets. The magazine is written partly by academic astronomers, partly by science writers, and partly by the magazine’s staff journalists.

Each issue of Astronomy features a foldout star map showing the evening sky for the current month and the positions of planets, comets, and other objects on the sky for binocular and telescopic viewing.

The magazine’s regular columnists write about a variety of topics. They include noted science writer Bob Berman, who writes a column called “Bob Berman’s Strange Universe,” in which he humorously describes a wide range of astronomy topics. Well-known observer and astronomy popularizer Stephen James O’Meara contributes “Stephen James O’Meara’s Secret Sky,” which tackles a range of observing tips and stories relating to deep-sky objects, planets, and comets. Longtime astronomy writer Glenn Chaple describes "Glenn Chaple’s Observing Basics", a beginner’s column for those who are just starting at the hobby. Longtime author Phil Harrington writes "Phil Harrington’s Binocular Universe", which describes what to see in the sky for those armed with a pair of binoculars. Editor David Eicher writes a monthly column, "This Month in Astronomy", an editorial previewing an important theme in each issue.

The magazine's hobby coverage has expanded over the past few years. Typical coverage includes a deep-sky observing article, such as a tour of objects in a particular constellation, region of sky, or an in-depth look at a famous sky object like the Andromeda Galaxy. Astronomy also includes articles about solar system observing, such as observing particular planets like Mars or Jupiter; comets and asteroids; meteor showers; or eclipses. Each issue includes a story devoted to astronomical imaging, as well — usually a portfolio of spectacular images shot by a sky photographer who explains how he or she created them. Issues also include equipment reviews that normally focus on new telescopes, astronomical cameras, accessories like eyepieces, or other goods amateur astronomer need to have. How-to techniques stories also inform readers how to make the most of their hobby.

A popular feature of Astronomy is the magazine’s “Ask Astro” section, in which distinguished academic astronomers and the magazine’s editors answer questions submitted by readers. Further, the magazine publishes reader-submitted photos in a gallery; offers a listing of astronomy-related upcoming events; publishes reader letters; contains a significant and beautifully illustrated news section; and offers tips on new products.

Astronomy sometimes includes special premium sections bound into the magazine, such as booklets or posters. Recent examples have included a Messier Catalog booklet, showcasing the best deep-sky objects in the sky; a pull-out poster showing Comet McNaught and other bright, historical comets; a Skyguide detailing upcoming sky events for the next year; a Telescope Buyer's Guide; a poster titled "Atlas of Extrasolar Planets"; and a poster showing the life cycles of stars.

Additionally, Astronomy’s editors create extra material that is posted on the magazine's web site that adds to and relates to many of the magazine’s print stories. These online extras, and other online features reserved only for subscribers, give magazine readers a large array of online resources.

Astronomy is by far the largest circulation and most read astronomy magazine. Astronomy outsells its main competitor, Sky & Telescope, by more than 50 percent each month. Astronomy targets beginning and intermediate amateur astronomers. The majority of its subscribers and newsstand buyers are in the United States, but it does have a significant sale internationally as well.

Astronomy currently costs $42.95 for 12 issues, $79.95 for 24 issues, and $114.95 for 36 issues. It is widely available at almost all significant newsstands, where a single issue costs $5.95 in the United States, $6.95 in Canada, and £3.25 in the United Kingdom. Purchasing a one-year subscription saves almost $30.00 off the newsstand price and comes with the special access to many “behind-the-wall” features on the magazine's web site.

• Astronomy magazine