''Popular Astronomy'' is an American magazine published by John August Media, LLC and hosted at TechnicaCuriosa.com for

amateur astronomers Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomer ...

. Prior to its revival in 2009, the title was published between 1893 and 1951. It was the successor to ''

The Sidereal Messenger Goodsell Observatory is an observatory at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was constructed in 1887 and was, at the time, the largest observatory in the state of Minnesota. The Goodsell Observatory and its predecesso ...

'', which was published from March 1882 to 1892. The first issue of ''Popular Astronomy'' appeared in September 1893. Each yearly volume of ''Popular Astronomy'' contained 10 issues, for a total of 59 volumes. The first editor, from 1893–1909, was William W. Payne of Carleton College, with Charlotte R. Willard as co-editor 1893–1905. Payne was followed by Herbert C. Wilson, who served in the post between 1909 and 1926. Dr. Curvin Henry Gingrich, Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Carleton, served as the final editor for the initial publication run, which ended with his sudden death (by heart attack) in 1951. Dr. Gingrich received a six page eulogy written by Dr.

Frederick C. Leonard Frederick Charles Leonard (March 12, 1896 – June 23, 1960) was an American astronomer. As a faculty member at the University of California, Los Angeles, he conducted extensive research on double stars and meteorites, largely shaping the univer ...

, in the August 1951 issue of the magazine. The magazine played an important role in the development of amateur

variable star A variable star is a star whose brightness as seen from Earth (its apparent magnitude) changes with time. This variation may be caused by a change in emitted light or by something partly blocking the light, so variable stars are classified as e ...

observing in the United States. In 2017 ''Popular Astronomy'' has returned as part of TechnicaCuriosa.com, along with sister titles Popular Electronics and Mechanix Illustrated.

Writers

Jane MacArthur Jane MacArthur FRAS is a British planetary scientist and science writer based in Leicester. Early life and education Jane MacArthur went to City of Norwich School, Norfolk, before studying Mathematics at the University of Nottingham. She co ...

FRAS FRAS may refer to: * Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (Whatever shines should be observed) , predecessor = , successor = , formation = , founder = , extinction = , merger ...

, a British planetary scientist

References

1893 establishments in the United States 1951 disestablishments in the United States Science and technology magazines published in the United States Astronomy magazines Defunct science fiction magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1893 Magazines disestablished in 1951 Magazines published in Minnesota {{Astronomy-stub