May 2008

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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

Mercury reveals its hidden side

By Richard Talcott

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft found features on Mercury unlike any seen elsewhere in the solar system.

pg. 26

Web extra: Message from the innermost planet

By Richard Talcott

The MESSENGER spacecraft flew past Mercury January 14, giving scientists their first close-up view of the planet in 33 years.

Earth's troubled adolescence

By Richard Talcott

When a Mars-sized object rammed Earth and created the Moon, it launched a sequence of events that made our planet what it is today.

pg. 32

Could changing channels tune into alien civilizations?

By Steve Nadis

A vast antenna farm in the Australian Outback may pick up the equivalent of talk radio and TV from other solar systems.

pg. 38

Web extra: Fly over and above the Square Kilometer Array

By Daniel Pendick

An international team is designing a radio telescope 100 times more sensitive than any of its kind. Here's what it will look like.

Inside NASA's Deep Space Network

By Francis Reddy

If you think talking to a spacecraft across the solar system is a challenge, try juggling 30 of them. Here's how NASA's far-flung missions phone home.

pg. 56

Web extra: Talking to spacecraft

By Francis Reddy

Hear about the state of the art from the program manager of NASA's Deep Space Network and the Spitzer Space Telescope's mission manager.

How to observe dark nebulae

By Steve Coe

Challenge yourself to find a dozen cold, dark clouds among the stars.

pg. 64

Web extra: View dark nebulae with your Meade scope

By Michael E. Bakich

Use this Autostar tour with your computerized Meade telescope.

Tele Vue's new eyepiece field tested