Photon Ezine

Photon was an astronomy ezine I put together a couple of years ago that ran for 8 issues. I thought it filled a hole in the amateur astronomy scene that was not addressed by the mainstream astronomy magazines at the time.

Since I was putting a lot of time and energy into its production, I charged $15 a year for it. Unfortunately, despite it receiving very positive reviews, not enough people subscribed to it to make it economically viable and I had no choice but to cease publication after issue 8.

Now, for the first time, I'm making the ezine available to download for free. Each issue's contents are listed below. All files are in PDF format. Right-click links and select "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As..." to download to your PC. Left-click links to load the ezines into your browser. (Files are between 3Mb and 7Mb).

If you'd like to continue the spirit of Photon, please consider submitting an article to the Night Sky Observer Articles Directory.

Enjoy the ezines.

Photon Issue 1 Starting Out in Astronomy By Fintan Sheerin Crash Test Chickens Book Review: Ingenious Pursuits By Tim Carr Urban Observing By Kevin Berwick Astronomy Students Say the Strangest Things! Observing the Moon By Gary Nugent Astronomy Ignorance Darkness Over Africa - a Total Eclipse Experience By Angela O'Connell Choosing a Telescope By Kevin Berwick A Word to the Wise Building Your Own Observatory - Part 1 By Gary Nugent The Forgotten Astronomers By Tim Carr Drift Method of Polar Alignment Review: Coronado SolarMax 90 H-Alpha System By Kevin Berwick Software Review: Redshift 4 By Gary Nugent Showcase Astrophotos Download Issue 1

Photon Issue 2 Cape Newise 200mm Reflector Review By Stephen Tonkin Astronomy Anecdotes Book Review: The Last Sorcerer By Tim Carr Astronomy Anecdotes Eclipsed Down Under By John O'Neill An Inexpensive Roll-Off Roof Observatory By Jeff Hopkins Outback Observing By Kevin Berwick Did You Know? Observing the Moon - Part 2 By Gary Nugent It Started With a Dandelion By Remy Bosio Cosmos - The Collectors' Edition By Gary Nugent Binocular Tours: A Crawl Around the Crab By John Flannery Building Your Own Observatory - Pt 2 By Gary Nugent The Great Astronomers By Tim Carr Showcase Astrophotos Download Issue 2

Photon Issue 3 The Moon and Sixpence By H.J.P. Arnold Insufficient Data Syndrome By J.C. Vickers Adventures in CCD Imaging By Gary Nugent Book Review: Choosing and using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope By Kevin Berwick Omar Khayaam: Astronomer and Poet By Joe Laffan A Different Perspective of the Moon By Bernd J. Mischlewski Building Your Own Observatory - Pt 3 By Gary Nugent The History of the Ashton-Woodland Observatory By Des Moines Astronomical Society Constructing a Sundial By Stephanie Clegg Some Observing Tips The Great Astronomers By Tim Carr Showcase Astrophotos Download Issue 3

Photon Issue 4 Getting the Most From Your CCD Images By Tim Long The Ancient Astronomers of Newgrange By Anthony Murphy The 2004 Transit of Venus By Kevin Berwick The Moon by Day By H.J.P. Arnold PaintShop Pro Version 8 Processing By Donald Waid I Sent My Rock to Arizona By Deirdre Kelleghan The Man From Mars I & II Faster Than Light! An Everyday Story of Country Folk By J.M. Harvey GraphDark V2.04 Software Review By John O'Neill The Great Astronomers By Tim Carr Showcase Astrophotos Download Issue 4

Photon Issue 5 What Can I See In A Telescope? By Don Waid Meade ETX90-EC Review By Kevin Berwick The Ancient Astronomers of Newgrange By Anthony Murphy Moon Luney By Tim Conrardy Into Cold Air... By Ron Robisch I Gave Myself a Christmas Present... By Adolph Kurth Introducing the Saturn Observation Campaign By Deirdre Kelleghan Celestron: The Early Years By Rod Mollise LunarPhase Pro Software Review By Kevin Berwick Book Review: Brother Astronomer By George Reynolds The Dream of Robin Goodfellow By J.M. Harvey Hunting Meteorites By Mark Bostick Aerial Explorations of Terrestrial Meteorite Craters By Charles O'Dale Showcase Astrophotos Download Issue 5

Photon Issue 6 Book Review: Deep Sky Wonders By George Reynolds RoboScoping! By Tom Nicolaides The Ancient Astronomers of Newgrange By Anthony Murphy The Sikhote-Alin Meteorite By Mark Bostick Solstices Are Milestones of Civilization By Von Del Chamberlain Aerial Explorations of Terrestrial Meteorite Craters - Sudbury Crater By Charles O'Dale RTGUI Freeware for Telescope Control By Rod Mollise Canon EOS "Digital Rebel" By Phil Harrington Some Images Through the "Digital Rebel" By Phil Harrington Thoughts About Astronomical Image Processing for Digital Cameras By Tom Licha Great Astronomers By Tim Carr Showcase Astrophotos Download Issue 6

Photon Issue 7 Deepsky Astronomy Software Review By Rod Mollise Brainless Astronomy 101 By Jack Huerkamp The Ancient Astronomers of Newgrange By Anthony Murphy 2005 Tucson Meteorite Show By Mark Bostick Long Night of the Comets By Mark S. Deprest MallinCam Video CCD Observational System By Jack Huerkamp Ancient Irish Divisions of Time: The Months By James O'Connor Aerial Explorations of Terrestrial Meteorite Craters - Sudbury Crater: Part 2 By Charles O'Dale RawShooter Essentials 2005 By Gary Nugent Great Astronomers By Tim Carr Showcase Astrophotos Download Issue 7

Photon Issue 8 Lunar Miscellany by H.J.P. Arnold Maillcam Video CCD Observational System Part 2 by Jack Huerkamp The Odessa Crater by Mark Bostick Science for Beginners: Astronomy by Michael Carroll A Radio Telescope for Ireland by Kevin Berwick The History of the Ashton-Woodland Observatory by the Des Moines Astronomical Society Ancient Irish Divisions of Time: The Months Part 2 By James O'Connor Google Earth Review by Gary Nugent The First Legal Tender Coin Minted With a Meteorite by Mark Bostick Great Astronomers By Tim Carr Showcase Astrophotos Download Issue 8

Some Testimonials

• Congratulations on another GREAT issue of Photon!!! I subscribed for the next six issues. It is well worth the nominal cost you have assigned it. Keep up the good work. I'll try to help you out by contributing an article in the future. - George Reynolds

• Another GREAT one! - Rod Mollise

• I want to thank you again for publishing my article and for putting together such a great venue for amateurs like me. I will be encouraging my home club to support your efforts. - Mark Deprest

  Many thanks for the effort you put into putting this ezine togther. It's good to know that amateurs do still have an unbiased outlet for their articles and opiinions. Keep up the good work! - Richard Bradford

• I am flattered that you considered my work good enough for you to publish. (And the cover image no less!!) - Don Waid

• Thanks for the insertion of the two articles in Issue 7. I like the way you included hyperlinks for many of the key words and phrases. - Jack Huerkamp

• I find your information helpful, professional, and not subject to the non-astronomy "opinions" that clog many resource publications. - Doug Smith

• Wow! Thank you! I never thought I would ever be a published lunar photographer. - Roger Anderson

Remember, if you have an article, you can post it to the Night Sky Observer Articles Directory. You can include images and links as well as an author bio.