For nearly five decades, Dennis Mammana has delivered the wonder and mystery of the cosmos to audiences around the world.DenniswasbornandraisedinEaston,PA,ahistoriccityattheconfluenceoftheLehighandDelawarerivers, andhisfascinationwiththeheavensbeganwiththelaunchingofthefirstEarth-orbitingsatellitesinthelate 1950s.Henowworksasanastronomywriter,lecturer,andskyphotographerundertheclear,darkskiesof Southern California's Anza-Borrego Desert. WithadegreeinphysicsandastronomyfromOtterbeinCollege(nowOtterbeinUniversity),hewasoneofonly twoastronomygraduatestudentsadmittedtoVanderbiltUniversityin1973.Hisresearchthereincludeda year-longphotometricstudyofopticalvariabilityinthenucleiofthreedistantSeyfertgalaxiesusingthe24-inch (0.61-meter) telescope of the Arthur J. Dyer Observatory.AfterearninghisM.S.inastronomy,Denniswasselectedfromafieldof55applicantsforacovetedone-yearinternshipattheworld-famousStrasenburghPlanetariumandhassinceheldpositionsattheSmithsonian Institution'sNationalAir&SpaceMuseum,theUniversityofArizona,andSanDiego's ReubenH.FleetSpaceTheatre&ScienceCenter.Hisoriginalplanetariumprograms havebeenenjoyedfromNewYorktoCalcuttatoBrisbane,andintheirproduction,he hasdirectedsuchluminariesasactorsBurgessMeredith,PatrickStewart,andothers, and has collaborated with science fiction icon Arthur C. Clarke. AlongtimememberoftheNationalAssociationofScienceWriters,Dennisistheauthor ofsixbooksonpopularastronomy―includingco-authoringthefirst-everbookaboutthe searchforextra-solarplanetarysystems―aswellas hundredsofpopularmagazinearticles,planetariumand videoscripts,andblogs.Since1986hehasbeenaregularcontributortoGrolier(nowScholastic) Encyclopedia,andsince1992,hehaswrittenStargazers,theonlysyndicatedweeklynewspapercolumn aboutastronomy,nowinits28thconsecutiveyear.InJanuary1986,hewasacandidateforNASA’s JournalistinSpaceprogram;justweekslatertheSpaceShuttleChallengeraccidentgroundedthefleet and canceled the program. Asanaccomplishednightskyphotographer,hisstunningcelestialimageshaveearnedhimaninvited membershipinTWAN(TheWorldatNight).Heisoneofonlysix Americansonthiseliteinternationalteam ofthemostexperiencedandhighlyacclaimednightskyphotographersonthe planet.Hisworkhasappearedinbooks,videos,internationalmagazines,and exhibitions,andhasbeenfeaturedninetimesasNASA’s AstronomyPictureoftheDayanddozensoftimeson the front page of Spaceweather. April 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of his first published sky photo. Adynamicpublicspeaker,Dennishasentertained,inspired,andinformedaudiencesatresorts,museums, corporateevents,andoncruiseships,includingthoseofRadissonSevenSeas,Hurtigruten,Sitmar,Royal Caribbean,Carnivalandothers.Inearly2021hewillreturnforhis25thyearasaninvitedenrichmentlecturer with Crystal Cruises, the world’s most awarded luxury cruise line. Since1986,Dennishasledmanypublicobservingandskyphototourstomorethan50countriesonsix continents.HehastraveledtotheArcticandSubarcticmorethan30timesover thepasttwodecadestoview,photographandlectureabouttheauroraborealis (thenorthernlights),andhaswitnessedandphotographed18totalsolar eclipses.Since1994hehasbeenapopularastronomyandphotographylecturerontoursofferedbyMWT Associates.DennishashostedaweeklyastronomynewssegmentonSanDiego'sKUSI-TV,andco-hosted"Quarksto Quasars"onUCSD-TVaswellastheEmmyAward-winningdocumentary"SanDiegoNightSky"with KPBS-TV.HeistherecipientoftheRobertBurnhamJr.,AwardforExceptionalServiceinAstronomyfrom theAstronomicalLeagueandtheSpecialAchievementAwardfromOtterbeinCollege.In2009his astronomicalcontributionstothecommunityofBorregoSprings(theonlyInternationalDarkSkyCommunityinCalifornia)were honored as he was named Grand Marshal of the 44th Annual Borrego Days Desert Festival. Whennotspendingtimewithhisheadinthestars,heenjoyscookinghome-styleItalianfood,sports,weight-training,tendingtohis Italianherbandvegetablegarden,exploringthedesertcanyonsinhisJeep4x4,watchingrerunsofGunsmoke,takingnaps,and relentlessly pursuing the perfect Philly cheesesteak sandwich―not necessarily in that order.Tolearnmoreabouthimandhiswork―andtoseehispubliclectureandtourschedule―pleasevisithiswebsite,"Like"and“Follow” him on Facebook and on Twitter, and subscribe to his free e-newsletter StarTrails so you don't miss any of his upcoming events!