November 2008
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
Are super-sized Earths the new frontier?
Astronomers are starting to find exoplanets not much bigger than Earth. Some scientists think these worlds could be more hospitable to life than our planet.
Web extra: The search for exoplanets
Astronomy Contributing Editor Ray Jayawardhana explains how astronomers hunt for worlds beyond our own.
Are these space rock from Mercury?
Angrite meteorites, rare and ancient, date to the birth of the solar system. Did a large asteroid give birth to them — or did they come from the innermost planet?
Web extra: Meteorites and meteorwrongs
How can you tell a real meteorite from ordinary rocks?
How scientists discovered a solar system “superhighway”
By riding planetary gravity, spacecraft can explore the solar system without using fuel.
Web extra: Take a trip on the interplanetary superhighway
Here’s how to transport a large space telescope far into space using virtually no fuel.
Illustrated: Inside Earth’s magnetic shield
An invisible structure protects Earth from all but the Sun’s worst outbursts. Scientists are starting to understand how it works.
The northern sky’s top 10 galaxies
All you’ll need is a dark sky and a small telescope to see these galactic gems.
Where the northern lights dance
In Tromsø, Norway, pristine fjords and rugged mountains frame some of the greatest auroral shows on Earth.
Web extra: The northern lights over Norway
More spectacular examples of Hinrich Bäsemann’s auroral photography.
How to shoot stars with a webcam
A small, inexpensive video camera offers surprisingly good results when imaging stars.
Web extra: Stars for all seasons
Fred Ringwald shares 20 more images shot with a webcam.
Vixen’s giant binoculars among largest sold
Use the BT-125-A, and you’ll know why many observers love large binoculars.
Departments
This month in Astronomy
Letters
Bob Berman’s strange universe
Stephen James O’Meara’s secret sky
Astro News
The sky this month
Ask Astro
Glenn Chaple’s observing basics
Clearing the air about seeing vs. transparency
Phil Harrington’s binocular universe
Calling on Cassiopeia
New products
Advertiser index
Reader gallery
