July 2012
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 humans will travel to Alpha Centauri
Long thought to be the province of science fiction, interstellar flight might not be as impossible as you think.
Web Extra: Project Icarus takes flight
An ongoing scientific study takes on one of mankind’s longest and most difficult dreams.
Tour our wet solar system
Life-giving water covers seven-tenths of Earth’s surface, but where did it come from, and where else can we find it?
Dark energy’s new face
How are exploding stars changing our view of the universe’s mysterious force?
Web Extra: The different types of supernovae
Not all supernovae are created equal. Here is a brief description of the four main categories of exploding stars.
How to collect rocks from space
Start a meteorite collection and soon you’ll be holding a piece of solar system history in the palm of your hand.
Web Extra: Space rocks on Earth
Collectors have recovered meteorites everywhere from Greenland to Antarctica.
13 great summer binocular sights
Grab your binoculars and explore the False Comet, Barnard’s E, and 11 more stellar targets.
Web Extra – 10 great summer binocular sights
Give your telescope a night off and target these wonders through binoculars.
All about the Bubble Nebula
Check out this emission nebula in Cassiopeia to see the results of a massive star’s hurricane-force winds.
“Astronomy” tests Orion’s grab-and-go refractor
The ED102T CF Triplet offers 4 inches of aperture, a wide field of view, and superb star images.
Departments
The Sky this Month
StarDome and Path of the planets
In Every Issue
This Month in Astronomy
Web Talk
Deep-sky showcase
Reader Gallery
Web Talk
Deep-sky showcase
Reader Gallery
Letters
Astro News
New Products
The Cosmic Grid
Astro News
New Products
The Cosmic Grid
