Features

Killer impact

If you think NASA has a plan to save Earth in case an asteroid is discovered on a collision course, you’re in for a surprise.

The golden age of star maps

Today, amateur astronomers use detailed and accurate star maps to locate celestial objects. Four hundred years ago, charts were less accurate, but they were much more beautiful.

Astrology: fact or fiction?

How’s this for a horoscope? This article may cause you to doubt fortune-tellers.

Wander the winter sky

A deep-sky universe of galaxies, nebulae, colorful stars, and beautiful clusters is accessible with a small telescope and this seasonal guide.

Wartime astronomy

An amateur astronomer in Iraq masters a technique for observing the night sky amid blackouts and bombings.

Polar Moon

Scattered across the Moon’s nearside, craters carry names associated with the mid-1800s Franklin expedition, Arctic exploration’s grimmest disaster. Tour these lunar features by telescope.

Drawing the universe

Many of us sketch nightly observations in logbooks. One California-based artist uses his sketches as starting points for unique drawings of the cosmos.

25 great accessories

If you want to enhance your observing dramatically, nothing beats a few well-chosen telescope extras.

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