Features

Astronomy magazine’s Sky Guide 2011

By Martin Ratcliffe and Richard Talcott
Bright planets, streaking meteors, and total eclipses of the Moon highlight an exceptional observing year.

How stars form

Stars begin as clouds of cold gas that transform into blazing hot fireballs. Here’s what scientists know about the process – and what they’re missing.

Web Extra: All about stars

Now that you’ve read how stars form, check out what’s going on inside them.

What’s the Sun made of?

By analyzing the Sun’s light, astronomers are learning about not only our star’s makeup, but also the early solar system.

Web extra: See the Sun in high-def

Now that you’ve read about our star’s composition, watch its roiling surface in action from the comfort of your own computer.

How five doomed missions triumphed in the end

Like the mythic Phoenix, these spacecraft rose from the ashes of near-certain failure.

Web extra: How astronauts fixed Hubble

In December 1993, astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavour successfully repaired the Hubble Space Telescope, turning the observatory into the science machine it remains today.

See the nearest stars

The stars next door are fun to hunt, easy to spot, and can teach you about astrophysics.

Web extra: The 100 closest stars

Here’s the complete list for your observing pleasure.

PlaneWave’s hot new astroimaging scope

The new CDK17 telescope offers thermal stability, ease of use, and killer images.

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