Wecome to Spectacular Universe, an 108-page special issue from Astronomy magazine. Within its pages, you’ll find more than 250 images of the Sun, the Moon, planets, comets, aurorae, eclipses, and all your favorite deep-sky objects: nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies.What makes Spectacular Universe special is that it represents Astronomy‘s first-ever publication that features only the work of amateur astroimagers. That’s right, as you look through this magazine, you won’t find a single image taken through the Hubble Space Telescope or any other professional observatory.What you will find, however, are pictures from some of the most dedicated enthusiasts you’ll ever encounter. These astroimagers have invested the time to learn or teach themselves the best imaging techniques.Many reading Spectacular Universe might want to try astroimaging, so each caption includes a brief description of the object or objects shown. And each details the equipment and exposure times used to create the shot.Finally, the editors included a spectacular bonus: an eight-page poster you can hang in your office or your observatory featuring the heart of our Milky Way by renowned imager Rogelio Bernal Andreo.Spectacular Universe shows how far the hobby of astronomy has come. Images you’ll see here rival those produced by professional observatories less than a decade ago.As in all of Astronomy‘s publications, the editors took great care to reproduce these images sharply and vibrantly — just as the contributors intended.As you turn the pages of Spectacular Universe and start examining the cosmos through the “eyes” of dozens of astroimagers, prepare for sights early astronomers could only dream about. Indeed, looking at pictures like these help all of us to more easily contemplate our spectacular universe.You’ll find Spectacular Universe at your local bookstore, or you can order it online at www.Astronomy.com. It’s only $9.95.
