Good Astronomy at Bad Astronomy

For readers craving their daily fix of cosmic reality, take a look at badastronomy.com, from writer and astronomer Phil Plait. Bad Astronomy began as his personal crusade against hogwash, lies, and other crimes committed in the name of his beloved field—think moon-landing conspiracy theories, the “face” on Mars, and impossible physics on Star Trek. The site has since grown into a timely news source covering all facets of what Plait argues is “the world’s real oldest profession” (that would be stargazing). Plait updates his blog daily, often including new images from major observatories or cool gizmos that NASA is testing (methane-fueled rocket engines, anyone?). Edgy and skeptical, Plait stays true to his mission: fighting sloppy thinking and tearing fake science to shreds in a fun, informative way.