Hello everybody!

Two weeks ago I was in Greenwich for the awards of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2011. No need to tell you more here, because I've written about it for this week's article.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2011
More fantastic astronomy pictures from around the world were sent to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England in 2011. Exquisite skyscapes and landscapes, aurorae and nebulae, and the expanding shock wave of an ancient supernova explosion. Be sure to see what young astronomers are doing, too.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50195.asp

There's a nice slide show of the pictures in the exhibition here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/picture-galleries/8750367/The-2011-Astronomy-Photographer-of-the-Year-competition-winners.html. There's more information on the Observatory site, but this is a good way to see the pictures.

Here is an interview with Nicole Sullivan from California who was the runner-up for the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year. http://vimeo.com/28740663

*September Equinox*

In the northern hemisphere, September 23 is the autumnal equinox, while it's the vernal (or spring) equinox in the southern hemisphere. There is a myth that it's easy to balance an egg on its end at the time of the spring equinox. If you live in the southern hemisphere you can try it. If you do, be sure to try it on another day as well! The equinox does not affect the balancing of eggs.

A misconception about the equinox is that on that day night and day are equal all over the Earth. Let's say that every place on Earth will have such a day, but the timing of it various slightly from place to place.

That's all for now.  Wishing you clear skies.

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Mona Evans,
Astronomy Editor BellaOnline
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