August 2010
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
How to find planets hidden by dust
The dust clouds that surround other stars can cloak an earthlike planet, but they also can offer tantalizing clues to a planet’s presence.
Web extra: A zodiacal cloud close to home
The beautiful zodiacal light visible in Earth’s sky could have inspired the most iconic structures of ancient Egypt.
Illustrated: Ring around the planets
Saturn sports spectacular rings, but all the gas giants in our solar system have ring systems on display.
10 crazy ideas from astronomy’s past
Some theories excel at explaining the universe. Others, like the ones here, are entertainingly ridiculous.
How amateur astronomers are really doing science
Professional astronomers don’t always catch everything in the sky. Astronomy enthusiasts are discovering near-Earth objects, measuring variable stars, and finding supernovae like never before.
Web extra: How you can do science from your backyard
You don’t need a Ph.D. to contribute to astronomy research.
Challenge yourself with the Palomar globular clusters
Pull out your large scope, head to a dark site, and test your skills with these 15 extreme targets.
Backyard astronomy on a budget
Amateur astronomy might seem like a daunting hobby, but you don’t need much to get started.
Web extra: Beginning observing
For those of you just starting out observing, binoculars are a good beginner tool.
Find your way through the fall sky
Easy-to-recognize star patterns, bright stars, and the Milky Way are just some of what the autumn sky has to offer.
The Ceravolo 300 Astrograph: two scopes in one
This telescope’s dual optical configuration offers wide-field and close-up imaging.
Departments
This Month in Astronomy
Letters
Web Talk
Bob Berman’s Strange Universe
Glenn Chaple’s Observing Basics
Stephen James O’Meara’s Secret Sky
David H. Levy’s Evening Stars
Astro News
The Sky this Month
Ask Astro
The Cosmic Grid
Advertiser Index
New Products
Deep-sky Showcase
Reader Gallery
