October 4th, 1957 was a day that changed our perception of the world. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 which orbited the earth while announcing its presence for all to see and hear. The event stirred emotions in the western world. Wonder, fear, anger, awe and a sense of challenge stirred the United States and set it on a path that further changed the globe. In 1957 I wasn’t yet born but I do remember the passion for the Space Race of the 1960’s and how it interested the entire world for a decade. The Space Race embodied the western world’s fears of being dominated by a foreign communist state and it also inspired us to reach for highest achievements we could imagine. With a dark soul as well as a noble purpose, the race to the moon seemed to mirror humanity’s unique quality of being immensely dangerous and at the same time incredibly hopeful.

Fifty years later, we find ourselves in a renewed Space Race. The political landscape is more complicated than ever and I’m too old now to think only of the more noble aspects of going back to the moon and beyond. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment or perhaps explore the subject in a video. I’d like to hear from you.

I returned recently from a trip to Florida to experience the launch of the Space Shuttle. While there, I was made welcome by members of the Brevard Astronomical Society as well as the staff of the Brevard Community College Planetarium.

The day after the shuttle launch, the good folk of the Brevard Astronomical Society and Melbourne Astronomical Society were engaged in a public event to share views of the sun and other celestial objects. They are wonderful people who really do a great job of bringing the wonder and excitement of astronomy to people of all ages. It was a pleasure to speak with the individual members -we’ll have it all in an upcoming installment of “News In Space”. Of course, we shot some great video at the BCC Planetarium as well. They run many good programs and exhibits from their beautiful location on the Brevard Community College Campus.

We are working on four new episodes of “News In Space” which focus on Florida’s Spacecoast, including the BAS, BCC Planetarium and of course the Kennedy Space Center. I think you’ll enjoy them. If you are visiting that part of Florida, check them out.

Welcome!

It’s the official launch of AstroShorts and I couldn’t be more pleased. About two months ago, AstroShorts started as an idea, a concept of serving the astronomical community with a video-sharing service. Now, instead of traveling the internet in search of astronomy and space video you can find a lot of it right here. Now you can upload your astronomy or space video on this site and find an audience that’s eager to see it.

Register for your own AstroShorts account. It’s easy, it doesn’t cost anything and we don’t share your personal info with anyone. By registering, you can access all the features in AstroShorts, form friendships with other members and share your astronomy or space video. Got a great mod for a webcam? Do you have video of your club’s public event? Do you have an astrophotography technique that you want to share? AstroShorts viewers want to see this.

Win an IPOD!

Right now, we’re running a contest for videos related to attracting new people to astronomy. Got a public outreach idea or a tutorial on how to purchase your first telescope? Upload your video today and you could be the lucky winner of an IPOD! As long as it pertains to attracting new people to astronomy, it qualifies.

Create your Account

To create your free AstroShorts account go to the top right hand corner of the main page and click on “register“. The process only takes a couple of minutes. For security purposes your account will not be activated until you respond to an email from us. You will receive this email within minutes of registering -If your spam filter is aggressive you may want to keep an eye out in the trash or spam folders. Hotmail users take note!

More video is added all the time so please visit often!

Clear Skies!

Steve Bevan