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March 2004 |
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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 By
Steve Nadis Supermassive black holes with masses greater than a million suns dwell in most large galaxies. While astronomers know how black holes the size of a singer star form, how such behemonths form remains a mystery. |
pg. 36 |
By
Scott Kenyon It takes a billion billion snowflaces to make a comet and a billion comets to make a planet the size of Pluto; learn now snowstorms in space formed the icy bodies at the far reaches of our solor system. |
pg. 42 |
By
Bruce Dorminey From the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, a new observatory hopes to see the fleeting light emitted when a neutrino strikes an atom. Ubiquitous yet nearly impossible to catch, neutrinos pose a challenge for any detector but, if caught, promise to open a new window on the universe. |
pg. 48 |
By
Ken Croswell Talk about "survival of the fittest." While similar clusters have fallen prey to giant interstellar clouds, open star cluster M67 has a lifestyle and habitat that have kept it out of harm's way for nearly 5 billion years. |
pg. 70 |
Cancer, Leo, and Leo Minor By
Tom Polakis The final installment of our constellation-by-constellation observing series features the deep-sky splendor of the Crab, the Lion, and the Little Lion. |
pg. 76 |
Disappearing act By
Trudy E. Bell Occultations are commonly predicted today, but that was not always the case. Meet David W. Dunham, the man responsible for the technique that enables people worldwide to observe these spectacular events. |
pg. 80 |
Capturing aurorae By
Cory Loewen Skyshooting is easy when you follow these tips from an expert. See how you can capture auroral displays, one of nature's most beautiful phenomena, using only a camera and tripod. |
pg. 84 |
TAL's 150K and 200K By
Phil Harrington TAL's new telescope models, the 150K and 200K, are ready-to-observe systems based on a seldom used optical design. Is one of these scopes right for you? |
pg. 90 |
Departments This month in Astronomy The forgotten black holes Beautiful universe Letters Bob Berman's strange universe Just SLOOH it. Glenn Chaple's observing basics Your first Messier marathon Interview News — Hubble spies the Pinwheel Galaxy
— Probing relativity from Earth orbit
— Vega's dusty disk hides a planet
— A pulsar makes waves
— How to move worlds with sunlight The sky this month A five-planet cornucopia Ask Astro Gravity lenses, defining a planet New products — Digitarium planetarium projector
— Sportz Full-Size SUV Tent
— Trifid Astronomical Camera
— Celestial Explorer: Mars Book reviews — Lonely Planets
— Worlds Beyond
— Mapping the Sky Coming events Advertiser index Resources Reader gallery
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