November 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

Are super-sized Earths the new frontier?

By Ray Jayawardhana

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.

pg. 26

Web extra: The search for exoplanets

By Richard Talcott

Astronomy Contributing Editor Ray Jayawardhana explains how astronomers hunt for worlds beyond our own.

Are these space rock from Mercury?

By Thomas H. Burbine, Jr.

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?

pg. 32

Web extra: Meteorites and meteorwrongs

By Daniel Pendick

How can you tell a real meteorite from ordinary rocks?

How scientists discovered a solar system "superhighway"

By Francis Reddy

By riding planetary gravity, spacecraft can explore the solar system without using fuel.

pg. 38

Web extra: Take a trip on the interplanetary superhighway

By Daniel Pendick

Here's how to transport a large space telescope far into space using virtually no fuel.

Illustrated: Inside Earth's magnetic shield