Dean Regas is an American astronomer, public speaker, author, and television host. He is most widely known as the cohost of the syndicated television show ''

Star Gazers ''Star Gazers'' (formerly known as ''Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler'' and later ''Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer'') is a short astronomy show on American public television previously hosted by Jack Horkheimer, executive director of the Miami Spac ...

'', which airs daily on more than 100 PBS stations around the world. He was the Outreach Astronomer for the

Cincinnati Observatory The Cincinnati Observatory, known locally as Mt. Lookout Observatory, is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio (United States) on top of Mount Lookout, Ohio, Mount Lookout. It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11-inch (28&n ...

from 2000 to 2023 where he specialized in astronomy education and public speaking. Regas is the author of three books ''Facts From Space!'', ''100 Things to See in the Night Sky'', and ''100 Things to See in the Southern Night Sky''. He is a Contributing Editor to ''

Sky & Telescope ''Sky & Telescope'' (''S&T'') is a monthly magazine covering all aspects of amateur and professional astronomy, including what to see in the sky tonight and new findings in astronomy. Other topics covered include: *observing guides for planets, ...

'' magazine and a contributor to ''

Astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

'' magazine. Regas is a frequent guest on nationally broadcast radio shows ''

Science Friday ''Science Friday'' (known as ''SciFri'' for short) is a weekly call-in talk show that broadcasts each Friday on public radio stations, distributed by WNYC Studios, and carried on over 500 public radio stations. ''SciFri'' is hosted by science ...

'' and '' Here and Now''. In 2017 he created a podcast for

popular astronomy Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers m ...

called ''Looking Up'', which he cohosts with Cincinnati Observatory Development Director Anna Hehman.

Early life

Dean was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and both of his parents are Greek-Americans. He moved to Cincinnati in 1992 to attend Xavier University where he received a B.A. in history and an M.A. in secondary education.

Cincinnati Observatory

Regas began his career at the Cincinnati Observatory as a volunteer in 1998. He was hired in 2000 as the Outreach Educator, tasked with bringing astronomy programs to schools around the area. He has since become an expert in

observational astronomy Observational astronomy is a division of astronomy that is concerned with recording data about the observable universe, in contrast with theoretical astronomy, which is mainly concerned with calculating the measurable implications of physical ...

. Regas delivers about 150 astronomy talks per year around the region and across the country to audiences of all ages. He stopped working for the observatory in 2023.

''Star Gazers''

'' is a weekly television program, a 1-minute and a 5-minute version, that covers what people can observe in the night sky from their backyards. Regas guest-hosted Star Gazers in 2010. Along with astronomer James C. Albury, have co-hosted the show since 2011. Regas and Albury are the main writers and presenters for 104 episodes per year that air for free on PBS stations around the world.

Author

In 2000 he began writing astronomy articles for ''

The Cincinnati Enquirer ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, altho ...

'' and has since written more than 120 pieces about observational astronomy. His articles have also appeared in Sky & Telescope Magazine, Astronomy Magazine, and ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'', and he blogged for ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

'' from 2013 to 2018.

Books

* ''Facts From Space!: From Super-Secret Spacecraft to Volcanoes in Outer Space, Extraterrestrial Facts to Blow Your Mind.'' (Adams Media, 2016). * ''100 Things to See in the Night Sky: From Planets and Satellites to Meteors and Constellations, Your Guide to Stargazing.'' (Adams Media, 2017; Expanded edition, 2020). * ''100 Things to See in the Southern Night Sky: From Planets and Satellites to Meteors and Constellations, Your Guide to Stargazing.'' (Adams Media, 2018). * ''How to Teach Grown-Ups About Pluto: The Cutting-Edge Space Science of the Solar System.'' (Britannica Books, 2022). * ''1,000 Facts About Space.'' (National Geographic Kids, 2022). .

Awards and recognitions

* Winner of Astronomy Magazine's 2008 "Out-of-this-World" Award for astronomy education * Recipient of a NASA ROSES grant (2010-2012) for Future Galileos, a project that awarded 100 quality telescopes to educators in the Cincinnati area * Asteroid 8815 Deanregas is named after him

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Regas, Dean Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American astronomers Scientists from Ohio Xavier University alumni American people of Greek descent