I'm usually the last one to become alarmed at such things but I'm beginning to get concerned about bedtime reading material Sky and Telescope Magazine. It started with the loss of S. J. O'Meara last year but is seems to have picked up speed at an alarming rate. David Levy is gone as well as Stuart Goldman. Stuart was the group's web guru and lately they have stopped sending the weekly news email. This latest issue was missing the Q and A section and with it any mention anywhere of Roger Sinnott. Also alarming is the recent thinness of the advertisers list. Orion no longer has an ad and Astronomics has cut it's full page add in half. Page count is shrinking and the new editor is giving bombastic editorials about the magazine not being "dumbed down". I know the economy is a problem for every one and print media in general is under pressure from the Internet, but S & T seems to be in big trouble during a time when people traditionally look to their hobbies for some peace of mind. DT
The magazine is no longer owned by the senior editorial staff; hasn't been for a couple of years now. That's when the decline started- the loss of Roger W. Sinnott, et. al. My old editor, Gary Seronik, was sent packing from the S&T offices and has been living back in his hometown of Vancouver BC since the sale. I let my subcription lapse last fall. It's no longer the resource it once was, and never will be. On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 1:12 PM, daniel turner <outwest112@yahoo.com> wrote:
I'm usually the last one to become alarmed at such things but I'm beginning to get concerned about bedtime reading material Sky and Telescope Magazine. It started with the loss of S. J. O'Meara last year but is seems to have picked up speed at an alarming rate. David Levy is gone as well as Stuart Goldman. Stuart was the group's web guru and lately they have stopped sending the weekly news email. This latest issue was missing the Q and A section and with it any mention anywhere of Roger Sinnott. Also alarming is the recent thinness of the advertisers list. Orion no longer has an ad and Astronomics has cut it's full page add in half. Page count is shrinking and the new editor is giving bombastic editorials about the magazine not being "dumbed down".
I know the economy is a problem for every one and print media in general is under pressure from the Internet, but S & T seems to be in big trouble during a time when people traditionally look to their hobbies for some peace of mind.
Yeah I've been so disapointed in it lately as well, I had wanted to drop astronomy in favor of S&T but now I might just let both go. I'm so dissapointed in the quality of both mags....pity, we need good solid resources in astronomy but economics are just too brutal right now. Howard --- On Thu, 2/12/09, Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] S and T in trouble To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Thursday, February 12, 2009, 1:31 PM The magazine is no longer owned by the senior editorial staff; hasn't been for a couple of years now. That's when the decline started- the loss of Roger W. Sinnott, et. al. My old editor, Gary Seronik, was sent packing from the S&T offices and has been living back in his hometown of Vancouver BC since the sale.
I let my subcription lapse last fall. It's no longer the resource it once was, and never will be.
On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 1:12 PM, daniel turner <outwest112@yahoo.com> wrote:
I'm usually the last one to become alarmed at such things but I'm beginning to get concerned about bedtime reading material Sky and Telescope Magazine. It started with the loss of S. J. O'Meara last year but is seems to have picked up speed at an alarming rate. David Levy is gone as well as Stuart Goldman. Stuart was the group's web guru and lately they have stopped sending the weekly news email. This latest issue was missing the Q and A section and with it any mention anywhere of Roger Sinnott. Also alarming is the recent thinness of the advertisers list. Orion no longer has an ad and Astronomics has cut it's full page add in half. Page count is shrinking and the new editor is giving bombastic editorials about the magazine not being "dumbed down".
I know the economy is a problem for every one and print media in general is under pressure from the Internet, but S & T seems to be in big trouble during a time when people traditionally look to their hobbies for some peace of mind.
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Small consolation, Levy is at least blogging for them: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/davidlevy On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 1:12 PM, daniel turner <outwest112@yahoo.com> wrote:
David Levy is gone as well as Stuart Goldman.
Hi Chuck, Dan, and Howard,
I enjoyed Fred Schaaf's observing articles, he has a new book that was published a few months ago. "The Brightest Stars: Discovering the Universe through the Sky's Most Brilliant Stars" I remember the Magazine "Deep Sky", they published it for about 4 years, it was all about deep sky observing with a little advertising. They covered all the constellations with several articles dedicated to objects available to small scopes. Seemed like they ran out of original articles and stopped publishing. They were too specialized. Brian Skiff wrote a lot of their articles. Their back issues are good observing aides. I think O'meara has put his eggs into the "Astronomy" basket, as far as his writing goes. http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=ss&id=160 Sky&Tele has been reorganizing (down sizing) for a few years. You do have to wonder if they will survive. They have so many years of traditions, it would be sad to see them go. I also remember the "ATM Journal" that was dedicated to Amateur Telescope Making. They tried to make it online for a while but quickly stopped publishing. The best ATM projects were combined for 2 volumes. Anybody interested in ATM will find them interesting. They can be purchased from William&Bell: http://www.willbell.com/tm/batmj/index.htm Riverside used to publish a journal highlighting ATM projects entered in Riverside Telescope Makers Convention. I have not been to Riverside for a few years so I don't know if they still do. I suspect not, perhaps a yard marker for the decline in ATMer's. BTW, today, feb 12, Neptune is at conjunction with the Sun and tomorrow, feb 13, Mercury is at greatest elongation. Erik Small consolation, Levy is at least blogging for them:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/davidlevy
On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 1:12 PM, daniel turner <outwest112@yahoo.com>
wrote:
David Levy is gone as well as Stuart Goldman.
Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com
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Hi Erik, It's interesting that you mentioned Deep Sky magazine. From the ATM list I just noticed a message which says that Kalmbach Publishing is now offering Telescope Making and Deep Sky downloadable issues. Here is the link: http://kalmbachcatalog.stores.yahoo.net/astronomy.html Clear skies, Dale. -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 4:26 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Sky&Telescope
Hi Chuck, Dan, and Howard,
I enjoyed Fred Schaaf's observing articles, he has a new book that was published a few months ago. "The Brightest Stars: Discovering the Universe through the Sky's Most Brilliant Stars" I remember the Magazine "Deep Sky", they published it for about 4 years, it was all about deep sky observing with a little advertising. They covered all the constellations with several articles dedicated to objects available to small scopes. Seemed like they ran out of original articles and stopped publishing. They were too specialized. Brian Skiff wrote a lot of their articles. Their back issues are good observing aides. I think O'meara has put his eggs into the "Astronomy" basket, as far as his writing goes. http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=ss&id=160 Sky&Tele has been reorganizing (down sizing) for a few years. You do have to wonder if they will survive. They have so many years of traditions, it would be sad to see them go. I also remember the "ATM Journal" that was dedicated to Amateur Telescope Making. They tried to make it online for a while but quickly stopped publishing. The best ATM projects were combined for 2 volumes. Anybody interested in ATM will find them interesting. They can be purchased from William&Bell: http://www.willbell.com/tm/batmj/index.htm Riverside used to publish a journal highlighting ATM projects entered in Riverside Telescope Makers Convention. I have not been to Riverside for a few years so I don't know if they still do. I suspect not, perhaps a yard marker for the decline in ATMer's. BTW, today, feb 12, Neptune is at conjunction with the Sun and tomorrow, feb 13, Mercury is at greatest elongation. Erik Small consolation, Levy is at least blogging for them:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/davidlevy
On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 1:12 PM, daniel turner <outwest112@yahoo.com>
wrote:
David Levy is gone as well as Stuart Goldman.
Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com
Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
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Geez, it's all my fault! I go and get divorced, have no money left over after paying alimony, and there went my S&T (and SLAS) subscription for the past couple of years, and now this! :o( Hope SLAS isn't also downsizing (I do plan on coming back when my financial sit. stabilizes and I'm not spending all my discretionary income on airfare to Sweden ;o) /Rich the scapegoat PS, Happy 200th b-day to Charles Darwin and Abe Lincoln anyway...
I bet you can get Swedish fish really cheap over there... On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 5:38 PM, Richard Tenney <retenney@yahoo.com> wrote:
Geez, it's all my fault! I go and get divorced, have no money left over after paying alimony, and there went my S&T (and SLAS) subscription for the past couple of years, and now this! :o( Hope SLAS isn't also downsizing (I do plan on coming back when my financial sit. stabilizes and I'm not spending all my discretionary income on airfare to Sweden ;o)
You know how you know if a Swede has moved in next door?
You can smell the Ludafisch. I bet you can get Swedish fish really cheap over there...
On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 5:38 PM, Richard Tenney <retenney@yahoo.com> wrote:
Geez, it's all my fault! I go and get divorced, have no money left over after paying alimony, and there went my S&T (and SLAS) subscription for the past couple of years, and now this! :o( Hope SLAS isn't also downsizing (I do plan on coming back when my financial sit. stabilizes and I'm not spending all my discretionary income on airfare to Sweden ;o)
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LOL, my Swedish wife has a funny story about that. When she was young she had a teacher she didn't like. She swiped some of that very smelly fish from a neighbor and tossed it into said teacher's open window one night (few folks in Europe have window screens it seems)... :o) She doesn't like it herself thankfully, though she does like other kinds of fish (including the candy ;o) /R --- On Fri, 2/13/09, Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Sky&Telescop To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Friday, February 13, 2009, 10:54 AM I thought that was Norwegian?
On Fri, Feb 13, 2009 at 10:21 AM, <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> wrote:
You know how you know if a Swede has moved in next door?
You can smell the Ludafisch.
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Rich, since she married a Utahn, all that's required is that she can eat green jello with carrots, green-bean cassarole, and funeral potatoes. *;o) * On Fri, Feb 13, 2009 at 1:17 PM, Richard Tenney <retenney@yahoo.com> wrote:
She doesn't like it herself thankfully, though she does like other kinds of fish (including the candy ;o)
Rich,
SLAS is like the moon, it waxes and wanes through the years. I think it is currently waxing. Erik Geez, it's all my fault! I go and get divorced, have no money left over
after paying alimony, and there went my S&T (and SLAS) subscription for the past couple of years, and now this! :o( Hope SLAS isn't also downsizing (I do plan on coming back when my financial sit. stabilizes and I'm not spending all my discretionary income on airfare to Sweden ;o)
/Rich the scapegoat
PS, Happy 200th b-day to Charles Darwin and Abe Lincoln anyway...
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Thanks for the info Dale, they do contain many very good observing articles. I am very likely to order many of the downloads. They had a very good article about Dark Nebula referenced from Barnards original catalog.
Hi Erik,
It's interesting that you mentioned Deep Sky magazine. From the ATM list I just noticed a message which says that Kalmbach Publishing is now offering Telescope Making and Deep Sky downloadable issues.
Here is the link:
http://kalmbachcatalog.stores.yahoo.net/astronomy.html
Clear skies, Dale.
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 4:26 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Sky&Telescope
Hi Chuck, Dan, and Howard,
I enjoyed Fred Schaaf's observing articles, he has a new book that was published a few months ago. "The Brightest Stars: Discovering the Universe through the Sky's Most Brilliant Stars"
I remember the Magazine "Deep Sky", they published it for about 4 years, it was all about deep sky observing with a little advertising. They covered all the constellations with several articles dedicated to objects available to small scopes. Seemed like they ran out of original articles and stopped publishing. They were too specialized. Brian Skiff wrote a lot of their articles. Their back issues are good observing aides.
I think O'meara has put his eggs into the "Astronomy" basket, as far as his writing goes. http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=ss&id=160
Sky&Tele has been reorganizing (down sizing) for a few years. You do have to wonder if they will survive. They have so many years of traditions, it would be sad to see them go.
I also remember the "ATM Journal" that was dedicated to Amateur Telescope Making. They tried to make it online for a while but quickly stopped publishing. The best ATM projects were combined for 2 volumes. Anybody interested in ATM will find them interesting.
They can be purchased from William&Bell: http://www.willbell.com/tm/batmj/index.htm
Riverside used to publish a journal highlighting ATM projects entered in Riverside Telescope Makers Convention. I have not been to Riverside for a few years so I don't know if they still do. I suspect not, perhaps a yard marker for the decline in ATMer's.
BTW, today, feb 12, Neptune is at conjunction with the Sun and tomorrow, feb 13, Mercury is at greatest elongation.
Erik
Small consolation, Levy is at least blogging for them:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/davidlevy
On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 1:12 PM, daniel turner <outwest112@yahoo.com>
wrote:
David Levy is gone as well as Stuart Goldman.
Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com
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Sky & Telescope effectively died when the "old guard" owners sold-out to a large media company. The changes since then have all been part of a planned process to turn it into a more mainstream cash cow. The S&T of old is gone forever. The new owners of S&T just want to make it more profitable, and the way you do that is to market to a wider audience. A tradition that doesn't add substantially to the bottom line is abandoned like last year's marketing strategy. A wider audience means watered-down, less specialized, less substantive content. They've made it gradual in order to not scare away the core subscribers while they cast about for new, with their new, "lean" editorial position. On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 4:25 PM, <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> wrote:
Sky&Tele has been reorganizing (down sizing) for a few years. You do have to wonder if they will survive. They have so many years of traditions, it would be sad to see them go.
This whole business about print media going away is almost unbelievable. Don't people read anymore? I know about the economics of the Internet and the dearth of advertising dollars, but really, I would be willing to pay more for fine newspapers and magazines. Books are still selling and they don't carry advertising. It's a heartache to see so many great institutions going downhill. -- Joe --- On Thu, 2/12/09, erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net <erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net> wrote: From: erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net <erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Sky&Telescope To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Thursday, February 12, 2009, 4:25 PM
Hi Chuck, Dan, and Howard,
I enjoyed Fred Schaaf's observing articles, he has a new book that was published a few months ago. "The Brightest Stars: Discovering the Universe through the Sky's Most Brilliant Stars" I remember the Magazine "Deep Sky", they published it for about 4 years, it was all about deep sky observing with a little advertising. They covered all the constellations with several articles dedicated to objects available to small scopes. Seemed like they ran out of original articles and stopped publishing. They were too specialized. Brian Skiff wrote a lot of their articles. Their back issues are good observing aides. I think O'meara has put his eggs into the "Astronomy" basket, as far as his writing goes. http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=ss&id=160 Sky&Tele has been reorganizing (down sizing) for a few years. You do have to wonder if they will survive. They have so many years of traditions, it would be sad to see them go. I also remember the "ATM Journal" that was dedicated to Amateur Telescope Making. They tried to make it online for a while but quickly stopped publishing. The best ATM projects were combined for 2 volumes. Anybody interested in ATM will find them interesting. They can be purchased from William&Bell: http://www.willbell.com/tm/batmj/index.htm Riverside used to publish a journal highlighting ATM projects entered in Riverside Telescope Makers Convention. I have not been to Riverside for a few years so I don't know if they still do. I suspect not, perhaps a yard marker for the decline in ATMer's. BTW, today, feb 12, Neptune is at conjunction with the Sun and tomorrow, feb 13, Mercury is at greatest elongation. Erik Small consolation, Levy is at least blogging for them:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/davidlevy
On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 1:12 PM, daniel turner
<outwest112@yahoo.com> wrote:
David Levy is gone as well as Stuart Goldman.
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participants (7)
-
Chuck Hards -
Dale Hooper -
daniel turner -
erikhansen＠TheBlueZone.net -
Howard Jackman -
Joe Bauman -
Richard Tenney