Australian Sky & Telescope magazine - new editor

[JonathanN]

Hello folks,

After 8 productive years at the helm, Greg Bryant is stepping down as editor of Australian Sky & Telescope magazine, and I have been appointed the new editor, beginning with the Feb/Mar 2015 issue.

The official announcement is below.

I'm excited to be back in this role, and I look forward to working with local astronomers, amateur and professional, to continue telling the world about the wonderful work they do.

I'm going to be pretty busy settling back in over the next month or so, but I'm keen to hear your ideas for what you'd like to see in AS&T next year. So please feel free to email me at jonathan@skyandtelescope.com.au

Regards,

Jonathan Nally



Odysseus Publishing is excited to announce that respected science journalist Jonathan Nally will return as editor of Australian Sky & Telescope, beginning with the Feb/Mar 2015 issue.

Jonathan is well known to members of both the amateur and professional astronomical communities. In 1987 he founded Sky & Space magazine, and in 2005 became the launch editor for Australian Sky & Telescope before moving on to other projects.

He has written for other major science magazines (Science Illustrated, Cosmos), and has authored, contributed to or edited many nature and history books.

He also appears regularly in the mainstream media, including as the resident astronomer on Channel 9's Today Show, and has been involved in the production of two shows for the Melbourne Planetarium.

In 2000, the Astronomical Society of Australia awarded him the inaugural David Allen Prize for excellence in the promotion of astronomy to the public.

Jonathan returns to Australian Sky & Telescope at an exciting time, with space missions soon to arrive at Pluto and Jupiter, and with major new observatories on the ground and in orbit set to revolutionise our understanding of the universe.

Greg Bryant leaves after eight years at the helm of Australian Sky & Telescope to pursue other interests. His contribution has been invaluable and passion enormous. We wish him all the best for the future.

Ian Brooks
Publisher

[Amaranthus (Barry)]

Welcome back Jonathan - I love AS&T magazine, so here's to a continued bright future for it. The Southern Skies rule!

Hey, and although Pluto is mega-exciting, don't forget that we'll get our first close-up peek at Ceres in 2015 too. One year, two new Dwarf Planets.

[astroron (Ron)]

So sad to see Greg go.
Needs new blood not old blood.
Cheers

[trent_julie]

Hi Jonathan,
I would really like to see a DIY/ATM section or similar.
Cheers,

Trent

[zenith (Tim)]

Hi Jonathan,
Trent has an excellent idea about a DIY/ATM section, and possibly it need not be restricted to hardware. Having the occasional review/tutorial on popular open source (and/or inexpensive) software would be great.
Clear skies.

[JonathanN]

Hi Barry and Trent.

Good feedback, thanks -- I'll take those ideas on board.

Cheers,

Jonathan

[omegacrux (David)]

Congratulations
one of my favourite magazines

David

[JonathanN]

Thanks for the DIY suggestion, Tim. I'll certainly take that onboard.

Cheers,

Jonathan

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

Welcome back Jonathan!

[Mckechg (Grant)]

Hi Jonathan,

firstly congratulations on your new role. Quite an achievement.

the magazine is brilliant, I am a big fan.

One of the interesting elements I would like to see more of is Mac orientated Software and alike reviews.

Also you could do a series based on a noob (like me) starting from scratch in the whole set up routine. We good granular detail. you could make a checklist or such for setting up. But with explanations on why a certain task needs to be done. As we all know, it takes time to perfect tasks in a set up routine and monthly is a fair rate of learning.

like I said, a truly great mag.

thanks
Grant

[JonathanN]

Hi Grant,

Thanks for the ideas. I'm not an Apple user myself, so do you have any suggestions for Mac software?

And when you refer to "set up routine", are you referring specifically to software, or do you mean setting up a 'scope for a night's viewing?

Cheers,

Jonathan

[Benjamin (Ben)]

Hi Jonathan,

Also enjoy the magazine. In regards to the Targets and Deep Sky section (I'm into DSOs!) recent issues have focused on targets very much low (or low-ish) to the North, or focus on various Messier objects or what's around them. I assume these articles are sourced from the Northern Henisphere? I feel a little frustrated when we have Dorado and Columba and the like high up early in an evening and we have various other Southern Catalogues (I'm into Dunlop at present) that would be wonderful to explore or highlight in an Australian magazine? I'm only recent to this so perhaps I've missed something or there's a need not to repeat other issues etc. so please correct me if I'm wrong :-)

Also like the Mac idea suggested earlier (Stellarium, AstroPlanner and Gamma Adjust are the three I use on my Mac) and the DIY suggestion (I have a Dob so things like fans, light shields, shrouds, counterweights, trolleys etc. interest me).

Think the magazine is still fascinating in what it presents (new discoveries, new telescopes, revisiting basic observing concepts (which I'm still learning). Clear skies.

[Jackson42South (Paul)]

Congratulations Jonathan, good to have you back.

I have been doing quite a lot of flying over the past month, and note that Australian Sky & Telescope is no longer available at airport newsagents/magazine shops. I have checked: Hobart, Brisbane and Melbourne airports, but they only stock the overseas mags.

A shop in Melbourne specialising in magazines did not have a copy, to my surprise.

Is it subscription only now?

Regards
PJ

[raymo]

I'm still getting it at my local newsagent.
raymo

[JonathanN]

Hi Ben,

Thanks very much for the feedback. This is exactly the kind of thing I want to hear.

And Paul, no, we're definitely not subscription only. It might simply be a case that the copies those stores received have sold out by the time you get there. Some of those airport stores, in particular, have very high turnover -- any copies they got might have gone within days. This is actually a good reason to subscribe.

Cheers,

Jonathan

[ManUtdFans (Alan)]

Hi,

I would like to see if a section for beginners in terms of equipment, software and stargazing techniques/theories.
Thanks.

[5ash (Philip)]

Originally Posted by trent_julie

Hi Jonathan,
I would really like to see a DIY/ATM section or similar.
Cheers,

Trent

Yes I agree , though it would be better would to see mainly "Australian " DIY/ATM instead of rehashed US .
Philip