David J. Eicher

David J. Eicher
man with beard looking at camera
David J. Eicher in 2010
Born
David John Eicher

(1961-08-07) August 7, 1961 (age 63)
Oxford, Ohio, U.S.
EducationMiami University
Occupations
  • Editor
  • Author
  • Producer
Years active1977–present
Known for
  • Astronomy
  • Civil War history
Notable work
  • Astronomy magazine
  • Deep Sky magazine
TitleEditor-in-Chief of Astronomy Magazine
SpouseLynda Ann Tortomasi (m. 1989)
Children1
Parents
Websitewww.davideicher.com
Signature

David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of Astronomy magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American history and is known for having founded a magazine on astronomical observing, Deep Sky Monthly, when he was a 15-year-old high school student.[1]

Eicher is also a historian, having researched and written extensively about the American Civil War.

Professional career

Eicher began his career at AstroMedia Corp., the magazine's publisher, in September 1982 as assistant editor of Astronomy Magazine and editor of Deep Sky.[2] In 1985, Kalmbach Publishing Co.,[3] the Milwaukee publisher of Model Railroader, Trains, and other titles, bought AstroMedia Corp. Eicher's role in the magazine deepened as he worked on many science stories as well as observing pieces and by decade's end, the company moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee, and by that time Eicher was promoted to associate editor.[4]

He published his first books, The Universe from Your Backyard (a compilation of deep-sky observing stories first published in Astronomy), and Deep-Sky Observing with Small Telescopes, an anthology about clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. In 1992, the company decided to cease publishing Deep Sky. Although Eicher has stated that he enjoyed editing this smaller magazine, it became clear that to progress further on Astronomy, he had to give up the smaller journal. At its peak, however, and at the time of its discontinuance, Deep Sky swelled to a circulation of 14,000. Within a span of six weeks in 1996, Eicher was promoted successively to senior editor and then to managing editor. After six years as managing editor, in 2002 Eicher became the sixth editor-in-chief of Astronomy Magazine.[5]

Promotion of astronomy

Eicher frequently travels to speak on astronomy or view solar eclipses with tour groups. In 2013 he was invited to speak about great advances in astronomy and on comets at Harvard University, in the Phillips Auditorium of Harvard College Observatory.[6] He was among the 2014 speakers at the Starmus Festival in Tenerife, Canary Islands,[7] and spoke at Harvard again in the spring of 2016, as well as delivering a public talk at Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona, in November 2016. In 2017 he spoke at the Science + Mathematics Think-in at WVIZ-PBS ideastream in Cleveland, Ohio.[8] He also spoke at the America's Darkest Sky Star Party at the Dark Sky New Mexico site near Animas, New Mexico in April 2017 and October 2017,[9] and in April 2018 delivered the Benson Memorial Lecture in Physics at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.[10]

David Eicher speaking at the Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo, southeast of Rome, Italy, 2007.
David Eicher speaking at the Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo, southeast of Rome, Italy, 2007.

From 2011 through 2017, Eicher was president of the Astronomy Foundation.[11] the first ever trade association for the telescope industry.

Asteroid 3617 Eicher (tick marks) imaged by Canadian astrophotographer Jack Newton on July 5, 2005, using a robotic telescope placed in Portal, Arizona. At this time the asteroid shone at magnitude 16.7 and was just south of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies.
Asteroid 3617 Eicher (tick marks) imaged by Canadian astrophotographer Jack Newton on July 5, 2005, using a robotic telescope placed in Portal, Arizona. At this time the asteroid shone at magnitude 16.7 and was just south of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies.

Eicher's service to the astronomy world was recognized in 1990 when the International Astronomical Union named minor planet 3617 Eicher (discovery designation 1984 LJ) in his honor.[12] The asteroid, a main belt object in orbit between Mars and Jupiter, was discovered by astronomer Brian A. Skiff at Lowell Observatory's Anderson Mesa Station in 1984 and the citation was proposed and written by astronomer David H. Levy.

Eicher's books include COMETS! Visitors from Deep Space[13] a book with Brian May of Queen fame, and astronomer Garik Israelian, constituting the conference proceedings, lectures, and information from the first Starmus Festival, a science and music event held in 2011 in the Canary Islands.[14]

Beginning in 2013, he has been a blogger on astronomy and science topics for The Huffington Post.[15] In 2015, he joined the Asteroid Day movement as a 100x signatory and serves on that project's board as Editor-in-Chief.] [16] In May 2015, he was named to the Board of Directors of the Starmus Festival.[17]

In 2015, Eicher began producing a video series addressing realities of astronomy and astrophysics. Titled "The Real Reality Show", it appears on YouTube and on Astronomy.com.[18] An audio interview series, Superstars of Astronomy, features hour-long podcast talks with prominent astronomers, planetary scientists, and cosmologists, including Jeff Hester, Garik Israelian, Martin Rees, Seth Shostak, Debra Fischer, Sara Seager, Heidi Hammel, and others.[19]

In 2017, Eicher started an audio podcast series 5 Questions with David Eicher, which is hosted on the Astronomy Magazine website and features interviews about current scientific research with well-known astronomers, planetary scientists, and cosmologists.[20]

In June 2017, Eicher joined the advisory board of Lowell Observatory, in Flagstaff, Arizona.[21] Also in June 2017, Eicher attended and was a principal actor at the fourth Starmus Festival, which took place in Trondheim, Norway. Eicher served as host on the Festival's opening day, delivered two talks about galaxies, served as moderator and host of a panel discussing science education.[22]

Civil War history

Eicher has written eight books on the subject of the American Civil War, including Dixie Betrayed (Little, Brown), The Longest Night (Simon and Schuster),[23] Civil War High Commands (collaboration with his father John H. Eicher),[24] and The Civil War in Books (Univ. of Illinois Press).

In 2013 Eicher donated his Civil War library of more than 4,000 volumes, collected since 1982, to the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and Ulysses S. Grant Association at Mississippi State University.[25]

Personal life

Eicher lives near Big Bend, Wisconsin.[26]

Eicher has been a drummer since grade school days in Ohio and currently plays with his band, the Astro Blues Band, in Wisconsin, which consists mostly of people who work with Eicher on Astronomy Magazine.[27]

Publications

  • Astronomy Backstage Pass: Northern Arizona (DVD and streaming video product, Kalmbach Publishing Co., 2019)
  • Mission Moon 3-D [with Brian May, foreword by Charlie Duke, and Afterword by Jim Lovell] (London Stereoscopic Company and MIT Press, 2018)
  • Astronomy Backstage Pass: Chicago (DVD and streaming video product, Kalmbach Publishing Co., 2018)
  • 5 Questions with David Eicher[20] (audio podcast interview series, Kalmbach Publishing Co., 2017–2019)
  • Starmus: Discovering the Universe (Executive editor, Canopus Books, 2016)
  • The New Cosmos: Answering Astronomy’s Big Questions[28] (Cambridge University Press, 2015)
  • Superstars of Astronomy[29] (audio podcast interview series, Kalmbach Publishing Co., 2015–2017)
  • The Real Reality Show[30] (video series, Kalmbach Publishing Co., 2015–2019)
  • Starmus: 50 Years of Man in Space (executive editor, Canopus Books, 2014)
  • COMETS! Visitors from Deep Space[31] (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
  • Astronomy Magazine: The Complete Collection (DVD), including The History of Astronomy Magazine (Kalmbach, 2011)
  • Lincoln the Liberal Strategist (Or, a Good Man is Hard to Find) (The Lincoln Fellowship of Wisconsin, 2011)
  • A New Birth of Freedom: Abraham Lincoln's Bicentennial (1809–2009) (Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, 2009)
  • 50 Greatest Mysteries of the Universe (Kalmbach, 2007)
  • Dixie Betrayed: How the Confederacy Really Lost the Civil War (Little Brown, 2006)
  • Beginner’s Guide to Astronomy (Kalmbach, 2003)
  • Gettysburg Battlefield: The Definitive Photographic History (Chronicle Books, 2003)
  • The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War[32] (Simon and Schuster, 2001)
  • Eicher, John H.; Eicher, David J. (2002-06-01). Civil War High Commands (1st ed.). Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0804736411. LCCN 2001020194. OCLC 937289168. OL 3941895M.
  • Mystic Chords of Memory: Civil War Battlefields and Historic Sites Recaptured[33] (Louisiana State University Press, 1998)
  • Robert E. Lee: A Life Portrait (Taylor, 1997)
  • The Civil War in Books: An Analytical Bibliography (University of Illinois Press, 1997)
  • Civil War Battlefields: A Touring Guide (Taylor, 1995)
  • Beginner’s Guide to Amateur Astronomy (Kalmbach, 1993)
  • The New Cosmos: The Astronomy of Our Galaxy and Beyond (editor, Kalmbach, 1992)
  • Galaxies and the Universe: An Observing Guide from Deep Sky Magazine (editor and coauthor, Kalmbach, 1992)
  • Stars and Galaxies: Astronomy’s Guide to Observing the Cosmos (editor and coauthor, Kalmbach, 1992)
  • Beyond the Solar System: 100 Best Deep-Sky Objects for Amateur Astronomers (Kalmbach, 1992)
  • Civil War Journeys calendar (Tide-mark, 1990–2000)
  • Deep Sky Observing with Small Telescopes (Enslow, 1989)
  • The Universe from Your Backyard (Cambridge University Press, 1988)

References

  1. ^ May, Hal, ed.: Contemporary Authors, vol. 113, p. 141, Gale Research Co., Detroit, Michigan, 1985;
  2. ^ "Magazine History". Astronomy.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  3. ^ "Kalmbach Publishing Co. - About Kalmbach". kalmbach.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  4. ^ "Astronomy Magazine History". Astronomy Magazine. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  5. ^ "Astronomy Magazine Staff". Astronomy Magazine. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  6. ^ ""10 Great Discoveries," David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief, Astronomy magazine". Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. September 19, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  7. ^ "Starmus Festival 2014". Starmus Festival. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  8. ^ "Science + Mathematics Think-In". ideastream. 2017-03-23. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  9. ^ "America's Darkest Sky Star Party a Smashing Success - Astronomy Magazine - Interactive Star Charts, Planets, Meteors, Comets, Telescopes". cs.astronomy.com. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  10. ^ "David Eicher to deliver Miami University Benson Memorial Lecture - Astronomy Magazine - Interactive Star Charts, Planets, Meteors, Comets, Telescopes". cs.astronomy.com. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  11. ^ "About the Astronomy Foundation". Astronomy Foundation. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  12. ^ Chamberlin, Alan. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  13. ^ "COMETS!". Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  14. ^ "The New Cosmos by Cambridge University Press". Cambridge University Press. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  15. ^ "David J Eicher on The Huffington Post". The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  16. ^ "Asteroid Day Team". Asteroid Day. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  17. ^ "David J Eicher - Official Profile - Asteroid Day". Asteroid Day. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  18. ^ "The Real Reality Show". Astronomy Magazine. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Superstars of Astronomy Podcast". Superstars of Astronomy Podcast. Astronomy Magazine. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  20. ^ a b "Five Questions with David J Eicher". Astronomy.com. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  21. ^ "David Eicher joins Lowell Observatory Board - Astronomy Magazine - Interactive Star Charts, Planets, Meteors, Comets, Telescopes". cs.astronomy.com. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  22. ^ "SPEAKERS". STARMUS. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  23. ^ "The Longest Night". books.simonandschuster.com. 2002-09-04. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  24. ^ Eicher, John H.; Eicher, David J. (1 June 2002). Civil War High Commands (1st ed.). Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0804736411. LCCN 2001020194. OCLC 937289168. OL 3941895M.
  25. ^ Henderson, Meg (Summer 2014). "Eicher Gives Large Book Collection to Grant Library by Meg Henderson" (PDF). Dispatches from Grant: The Newsletter of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  26. ^ Astronomy
  27. ^ "Astronomy Blues Band". Reverb Nation. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  28. ^ "New cosmos answering astronomys big questions | Amateur and popular astronomy". Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  29. ^ "Superstars of Astronomy Podcast". Astronomy.com. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  30. ^ "The Real Reality Show". Astronomy.com. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  31. ^ "COMETS!, Visitors from Deep Space". Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  32. ^ Eicher, David (2002). The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780743218467.
  33. ^ Eicher, David (1998). Mystic Chords of Memory: Civil War Battlefields and Historic Sites Recaptured. Chapel Hill, NC: Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0807123099.

Read other articles:

Louis-Ferdinand Céline

Louis-Ferdinand CélinePekerjaanTabib, NovelisKebangsaanPrancis Louis-Ferdinand Céline adalah nama pena dari penulis dan dokter Prancis Louis-Ferdinand Destouches (27 Mei 1894 – 1 Juli 1961). Nama Céline dipilih setelah nama neneknya. Céline dianggap sebagai salah satu penulis berpengaruh pada abad ke-20, membangun suatu bentuk baru tulisan yang memodernisasikan literatur Prancis dan dunia. Ia menjadi sebuah figur kontroversial karena pernyataannya yang diterbitkan selama P...

 

 

Azhar Djaloeis

Azhar DjaloeisLahir9 Mei 1944 (umur 79)Jaho, Padang Panjang, Masa pendudukan JepangKebangsaanIndonesiaPekerjaanAhli nuklir, pengajar, birokratDikenal atasKepala BAPETEN Prof. Dr. Azhar Djaloeis (lahir 9 Mei 1944)[1] adalah ilmuwan nuklir, pengajar, dan birokrat Indonesia. Ia menjabat sebagai Kepala Badan Pengawas Tenaga Nuklir (BAPETEN) dari tahun 2003 hingga 2005. Sebelumnya, Azhar Djaloeis pernah berkarier sebagai staf ahli bidang nuklir Menteri Riset dan Teknologi B.J. Habibi...

 

 

Sugar Regulatory Administration

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Sugar Regulatory Administration – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Sugar Regulatory AdministrationPangasiwaan sa Regulasyon ng AsukalAgency overviewFormedSeptember 16, 1937...

Demofoonte (Mysliveček, 1769)

Opera by Josef Mysliveček (1769) DemofoonteOpera by Josef MyslivečekEtching of the composerLibrettistMetastasioLanguageItalianPremiere17 January 1769 (1769-01-17)Teatro San Benedetto in Venice Demofoonte is an opera in three acts by the Czech composer Josef Mysliveček. It was the composer's first setting of this popular libretto by Metastasio first produced in 1733 (it was common in the second half of the eighteenth century for composers to set Metastasian texts two or more ...

 

 

Lockheed MAC-16

Storage (left), MAC-16 (center), paper tape reader (center top) and Plessy display (right) as part of an ARTS II set-up displayed in Rome. The MAC-16 (or LEC-16) was a 16-bit minicomputer introduced in 1969 by Lockheed Electronics.[1] One main selling point of the MAC-16 was a dedicated context switching system that completed operations in two machine cycles. Several improved versions were introduced, including the MAC Jr., Sue, and System III, but the company dropped support for all ...

 

 

2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana

For related races, see 2022 United States House of Representatives elections. 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana ← 2020 November 8, 2022 2024 → All 9 Indiana seats to the United States House of Representatives   Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 7 2 Seats won 7 2 Seat change Popular vote 1,108,351 716,348 Percentage 59.70% 38.58% Swing 1.67% 1.30% Election results by distr...

Cao Pi

Si ce bandeau n'est plus pertinent, retirez-le. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus. Cet article ne cite pas suffisamment ses sources (juillet 2014). Si vous disposez d'ouvrages ou d'articles de référence ou si vous connaissez des sites web de qualité traitant du thème abordé ici, merci de compléter l'article en donnant les références utiles à sa vérifiabilité et en les liant à la section « Notes et références ». En pratique : Quelles sources sont attendues ? C...

 

 

趙家驤

追晉陸軍二級上將趙家驤將軍个人资料出生1910年 大清河南省衛輝府汲縣逝世1958年8月23日(1958歲—08—23)（47—48歲） † 中華民國福建省金門縣国籍 中華民國政党 中國國民黨获奖 青天白日勳章（追贈）军事背景效忠 中華民國服役 國民革命軍 中華民國陸軍服役时间1924年－1958年军衔 二級上將 （追晉）部队四十七師指挥東北剿匪總司令部參謀長陸軍�...

 

 

Macon Blair

Macon Blair nel 2013 Macon Blair (Alexandria, 1974) è un attore, regista, sceneggiatore e produttore cinematografico statunitense. Indice 1 Biografia 2 Filmografia 2.1 Attore 2.2 Regista 2.3 Sceneggiatore 3 Altri progetti 4 Collegamenti esterni Biografia Nato ad Alexandria, Virginia, Blair è un attore attivo principalmente nel cinema indipendente statunitense. Ha lavorato con l'amico d'infanzia Jeremy Saulnier, che lo ha diretto nei film Murder Party, Blue Ruin e Green Room. Debutta alla re...

土库曼斯坦总统

土库曼斯坦总统土库曼斯坦国徽土库曼斯坦总统旗現任谢尔达尔·别尔德穆哈梅多夫自2022年3月19日官邸阿什哈巴德总统府（Oguzkhan Presidential Palace）機關所在地阿什哈巴德任命者直接选举任期7年，可连选连任首任萨帕尔穆拉特·尼亚佐夫设立1991年10月27日 土库曼斯坦土库曼斯坦政府与政治 国家政府 土库曼斯坦宪法 国旗 国徽 国歌 立法機關（英语：National Council of Turkmenistan） ...

 

 

乌克兰总理

 烏克蘭總理Прем'єр-міністр України烏克蘭國徽現任杰尼斯·什米加尔自2020年3月4日任命者烏克蘭總統任期總統任命首任維托爾德·福金设立1991年11月后继职位無网站www.kmu.gov.ua/control/en/（英文） 乌克兰 乌克兰政府与政治系列条目 宪法 政府 总统 弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基 總統辦公室 国家安全与国防事务委员会 总统代表（英语：Representatives of the President of Ukraine） 总...

 

 

Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's

Restaurant in London, EnglandGordon Ramsay at Claridge'sThe entrance to Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, photographed in 2008The location of Claridge's within LondonRestaurant informationEstablished2001; 23 years ago (2001)Closed30 June 2013; 10 years ago (2013-06-30)Head chefMark Sargeant (2001–08)Steve Allen (2008–13)ChefGordon Ramsay, Steve Allen, Mark Sargeant, Mark AskewFood typeEuropean cuisine[citation needed]Rating Michelin star (2002–09)...

Le Batofar

Theatre boat moored in Paris, France; originally an Irish lighthouse boat Batofar History Ireland, sold to France NameOsprey OwnerIrish Lights Ordered1953 BuilderPhilip and Son, Dartmouth Cost£98,100 Laid down1953 Completed1955 RenamedBatofar ReclassifiedNight Club General characteristics Length134 feet Beam25 feet Depth15 feet LV Osprey entered service as a Light Vessel for the Commissioners of Irish Lights in 1955. On 9 May 1975 she was sold to the New Ross Harbour Commissioners for use as...

 

 

Swarup Rani Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru's mother and Indian independence activist Swarup Rani NehruBornc. 1868Lahore, Punjab, British IndiaDied10 January 1938(1938-01-10) (aged 70)NationalityIndianPolitical partyIndian National CongressSpouseMotilal NehruChildrenJawaharlal NehruVijaya Lakshmi PanditKrishna HutheesingFamilyNehru–Gandhi family Swarup Rani Nehru (née Thussu, 1868 – 10 January 1938) was an Indian independence activist. She was the wife of barrister and Indian National Congress leader Mo...

 

 

Costa Rican Constitution of 1847

Constitution Political Constitution of the State of Costa RicaCover of the text, National LibraryOverviewOriginal titleConstitución Política de Costa RicaJurisdictionState of Costa RicaCreated1846Date effectiveFebruary 10, 1847Government structureBranchesExecutive, LegislativeExecutivePresident and Vice PresidentLast amended1848LocationNational LibraryCommissioned byInterim government of José María Alfaro ZamoraAuthor(s)Constituent Assembly Part of a series on the History of Cos...

George A. Cooper

British actor (1925–2018) This article is about the actor. For the film director, see George A. Cooper (director). George A. CooperPublicity still, 1963BornGeorge Alphonsus Cooper(1925-03-07)7 March 1925Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, EnglandDied16 November 2018(2018-11-16) (aged 93)Liss, Hampshire, EnglandOccupation(s)Actor and voice artistYears active1946–1995Spouse(s)Anne Shirley Jones(m. 1955–2000; (her death) George Alphonsus Cooper (7 March 1925 – 16 November 2018) ...

 

 

Trump National Golf Club Bedminster

Golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey Trump National Golf ClubEntrance with gatehouse, 2017Club informationShow map of the United StatesShow map of New JerseyCoordinates40°39′11″N 74°41′42″W / 40.653°N 74.695°W / 40.653; -74.695LocationBedminster, New Jersey, U.S.Elevation200 feet (60 m)Established2004, 20 years agoTypePrivateTotal holes36Events hosted2009 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship2009 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship2017 U.S. Women’s Open 2022...

 

 

Lunchables

Brand of food manufactured by Kraft Foods LunchablesProduct typeSnackOwnerKraft HeinzProduced byOscar MayerCountryUnited StatesIntroduced1988; 35 years agoRelated brandsLunch Mates[1] Lunchables is an American brand of food and snacks manufactured by Kraft Heinz in Chicago, Illinois, and marketed under the Oscar Mayer brand. They were initially introduced in Seattle in 1988 before being released nationally in 1989.[2] Many Lunchables products are produced in a Garland, Te...

Тайлер (Техас)

У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Тайлер. ГородТайлерангл. Tyler 32°21′05″ с. ш. 95°18′04″ з. д.HGЯO Страна  США Штат Техас Округ Смит Мэр Don Warren[вд][1] История и география Основан 1846 Площадь 140,9 км² Высота центра 165 м Часовой пояс UTC−6:00, летом UTC−...

 

 

Pythagorean hammers

Gaffurius, Theorica musicae (1492): Pythagoras exploring harmony and ratio with various musical instruments According to legend, Pythagoras discovered the foundations of musical tuning by listening to the sounds of four blacksmith's hammers, which produced consonance and dissonance when they were struck simultaneously. According to Nicomachus in his 2nd-century CE Enchiridion harmonices,[1] Pythagoras noticed that hammer A produced consonance with hammer B when they were struck togeth...