About Dennis Mammana

Dennis Mammana

Dennis Mammana

For more than three decades, Dennis Mammana has shared the wonder and mystery of the cosmos with audiences around the world. With a B.A. in physics from Otterbein College and an M.S. in astronomy from Vanderbilt University, Mammana has held positions at the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum, the University of Arizona, and San Diego's Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. He now works as an astronomy writer, lecturer and photographer from under the clear dark skies of Southern California's Anza-Borrego Desert. Mammana is the author of six books on astronomy, hundreds of popular magazine and encyclopedia articles and, since 1992, has written "Stargazers," the only nationally syndicated weekly newspaper column on astronomy.

As an accomplished night-sky photographer, his stunning images have appeared in a variety of media and international exhibitions, and can be enjoyed at his website, www.dennismammana.com. He is an invited member of TWAN — The World At Night — an international team of the world's most highly acclaimed sky photographers.

A dynamic public speaker, Mammana has entertained and informed audiences on six continents at resorts, on cruise ships and as an after-dinner speaker, and leads public tours to view and photograph such celestial displays as the aurora borealis and total solar eclipses. He makes frequent appearances on both radio and television.

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Exploring the Smallest Constellations Sep 01, 2026

Week of Sept. 6-12, 2026 Last week we talked about some of this month's larger and more familiar constellations in the eastern sky after dark. Today, however, I'd like to tell you about some of those that rarely get the same attention. A great starti... Read More

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A Sky Full of Pictures Aug 25, 2026

Week of Aug. 30 - Sept. 5, 2026 Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! That's what Dorothy and her friends were worried about in "The Wizard of Oz," but you'll find none of them in the night sky. Understandably, beginning stargazers quickly become frustr... Read More

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Shadow on the Moon Aug 18, 2026

Week of Aug. 23-29, 2026 On the evening of Thursday, Aug. 27, the full moon will rise in the east as it does just about every month. It won't take long, however, for it to begin looking a little strange. Regular readers of this column know that the f... Read More

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The Little Planet That Couldn't Aug 11, 2026

Week of Aug. 16-22, 2026 It was 20 years ago that our solar system lost a planet. Well, it didn't really go anywhere, but Pluto is no longer a planet because it's been reclassified. I'm sure you figured out in school that scientists love to classify ... Read More