September 2013

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.

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Features

How solar storms could shut down Earth

by
Bob Berman

A serious solar storm could cause an electromagnetic mess that might take a decade to clean up.

Web Extra: The craziest coronal mass ejections

by
Sarah Scoles

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory keeps track of the Sun’s activity all the time. Here are 10 of the best moments it’s caught on camera.

The new search for alien intelligence

by
David L. Chandler

Hunting for ET now involves Dyson spheres, infrared signals, and laser communications.

Web Extra: Exploring scientists’ first ET communication attempt

by
Karri Ferron

With the launch of Pioneer 10 in 1972, Carl Sagan and colleagues reached out to any civilization that could possibly encounter the spacecraft.

Astronomers reveal the universe’s hidden structure

by
Steve Nadis

Dark matter makes up barely one-fourth of the cosmos, but it forms the scaffolding on which normal matter congregates.

Web Extra: The cosmos’ hidden scaffolding

by
Liz Kruesi

Computer simulations show the weblike pattern that matter follows in our universe.

Get your first peek at Comet ISON

by
Richard Talcott

Although still two months from glory, this visitor from the solar system’s depths promises to be a morning treat through small telescopes.

A fond farewell to Comet PANSTARRS

by
Michael E. Bakich

The best comet in six years proved to be a superb target for astroimagers.

David Levy’s lifetime of observations

by
David H. Levy

Keeping a logbook is more than just a way to track your observations — it’s a written history of your relationship with the night sky. Just ask this famed comet hunter.