September 2004

Subscribe today and save!
The world's best-selling astronomy magazine offers you the most exciting, visually stunning, and timely coverage of the heavens above. Each monthly issue includes expert science reporting, vivid color photography, complete sky coverage, spot-on observing tips, informative telescope reviews, and much more! All this in an easy-to-understand, user-friendly style that's perfect for astronomers at any level.

Features

Listening for a whisper

By Seth Shostak

The keys to searching for life elsewhere in the universe are sky coverage and computing speed. The Allen Telescope Array, the latest project from the SETI Institute, has plenty of both - and astronomers are hoping for results in the near future.

pg. 34

Our local star factory

By Matthew Terry

A ring of bright, naked-eye stars called Gould's Belt surrounds the Sun. It's the outcome of a burst of star-making that took place in this part of the Milky Way roughly 30 million years ago.

pg. 40

Cassini spies Phoebe

By Richard Talcott

The Cassini spacecraft made its first close approach to a member of the saturnian system this summer, passing within 1,200 miles of the captured moon Phoebe.

pg. 46

Trekking the autumn sky

By Ian Ridpath

Touring the universe's galaxies, nebulae, colorful stars, and beautiful clusters doesn't require a giant telescope. Even a small instrument can show you a lot.

pg. 70

Shooting the sky

By Bill Fletcher, Sally Fletcher

Think you need a CCD camera to do great imaging? Don't throw away your film camera just yet. Two California astrophotographers are proving terrific images still can be made on film.

pg. 74

The Oregon Star Party

By Tom Polakis

The Oregon Star Party offers amateur astronomers one of the darkest observing sites in the country. Despite its remote location, visitors still can enjoy a cappuccino and surf the Web while waiting to take a shower.

pg. 80

Canon 10D digital camera

By Mark Hanson, R. A. Greiner

The era of the digital SLR has arrived, and one camera is leadingt the way. But is it suited for astrophotography? Find out in this pictorial review.

pg. 84

Departments

This month in Astronomy

Check out the new Astronomy.com

Letters

Bob Berman's strange universe

Eye see, you see

Glenn Chaple's observing basics