A Brief History of Astronomy Blogs
Update (3 Feb 2008): please note that this doesn't claim to be a complete list of every astronomy blog. As I say, it includes those that I have on my links page and a few others that I don't. If you own (or know of) any more just add them in the comments and I'll add them when I notice.
Inspired by Dave P's observing log timelines using Simile I decided to chart the history of the astronomy blogosphere. Below you should see an interactive timeline centred on what might be the very first astronomy-related blog - The Space Writer's Ramblings - which first started regular entries in early 2002. I turned up a year and a half later just after the About Space Blog. Using your mouse you should be able to drag the timeline around by month or by year. As well as the first post dates for many of the astronomy blogs on my links page I've added some milestones in general blogging history.
Update 24/1/2008: I've added a few more astro blogs. I can't believe that I forgot Cosmic Log from the early days.
Comments: A Brief History of Astronomy Blogs
I like that they come in academic year groups. Turns out I am the youngest in my class. Aw.
Posted by Robert Simpson on Thursday 24th Jan 2008 (18:35 UTC)
Oh! Clever! Very clever!
Posted by Dave Pearson on Friday 01st Feb 2008 (15:07 UTC)
Oh, yeah, forgot to mention, that link to my blog: doesn't work.
Perhaps you meant this post? ;)
Posted by Dave Pearson on Friday 01st Feb 2008 (15:13 UTC)
Don't know if it counts as an astronomy blog, though it *is* an astronomer's blog, but Gathering Dust started on 3 July 2006. Not that I get much traffic!
Posted by Dave on Friday 01st Feb 2008 (18:57 UTC)
Wow, I'm one of the first, yay me :) But I am pretty sure that Transterrestrial Musings and A Voyage To Arcturus predate Robot Guy by rather a lot. (checking...) Yeah, TM started in October of 2001 and AVTA has some posts dated December of 2001, but it might be much older (having a tough time finding his archives).
You've got a few blogs in there that I hadn't seen before, and I'm going to have to add them to the Space Blogroll (I might just add Gathering Dust too, Dave).
Posted by Ed Minchau on Saturday 02nd Feb 2008 (03:35 UTC)
There is one other site that I have to mention. A case could be made that APOD is technically a blog, and it started in June 1995, making it one of the first blogs of any type.
Posted by Ed Minchau on Saturday 02nd Feb 2008 (03:51 UTC)
Nice!
FYI, slackerastronomy.org started on February 14, 2005. Aaron from Slacker actually talked Phil Plait into starting a blog!
Posted by Michael on Saturday 02nd Feb 2008 (04:01 UTC)
You missed systemic.
Posted by andy on Saturday 02nd Feb 2008 (09:35 UTC)
Sweet -- I didn't know I was among the first... my blog was actually preceded by my web page (www.thespacewriter.com), which first began publishing in 1992, about the time I started grad school. It has gone through several iterations (and servers) as I've moved around, changed jobs, grown up, etc. ;)
The blog came about as soon as I found out about blogging!
Now I'm about to change it over to WordPress, which is driving me nuts!
thanks for doing this, Dave!
Posted by ccpetersen on Saturday 02nd Feb 2008 (15:25 UTC)
Sorry... meant to thank Stuart!
Posted by ccpetersen on Saturday 02nd Feb 2008 (17:32 UTC)
I assume there is supposed to be something in (for me) the blank square below the main writing.
What plug-in do I need?
SC
Posted by Snowcrash on Sunday 03rd Feb 2008 (12:53 UTC)
Hmm, if APOD counts as a blog, the Cosmic Mirror which has been running continuously
since Oct. 1996 should also count. And the youngest astronomy blog (now in the 'official' format) could well be my Cosmos 4 U.
Daniel
Posted by Daniel Fischer on Sunday 03rd Feb 2008 (15:27 UTC)
Thanks for the comments and constructive feedback everyone. Let me answer your comments in order.
Dave, I've added Gathering Dust.
Ed, I had excluded Transterrestrial Musings because I had the impression it was mostly a personal/political blog and didn't have much in the way of astronomy on it. I know I'm probably wrong but that was the impression I got. ;-) The only reason I didn't include A Voyage to Arcturus is because for some reason I can't get to the archives so I couldn't find the earliest post. If you could find the earliest post and send me the link to it that would be great.
It is interesting that you suggest APoD as I had never thought of it as a blog before. It certainly meets the 'dated entries' criteria but the lack of ability to comment and the fact that they don't really seem to think of themselves as a blog (pre-dating the entire concept!) is why I've not included them as a blog. I might just include them as a notable site though.
Michael, I seem to remember the Slacker blog starting later than the podcast but that might just be my memory playing up.
ccpeterson, thanks for the thanks and for getting my name right the second time ;-)
Snowcrash, you don't need a plugin but it does use Javascript and CSS. Try going to the SIMILE site and see if anything works there. If it works fine there I may have something wrong with the installation here so let me know.
Daniel, I've added Cosmos4U. I've also added Cosmic Mirror and APoD with different symbols to the rest of the blogs.
Posted by Stuart on Monday 04th Feb 2008 (20:10 UTC)