November/December 2008
Volume 4. Number 7. Issue 33
COVER STORY
Building Planets in Disks of Chaos
Giant collisions, rogue asteroid swarms - planet-building is messy and unpredictable, and it sometimes leaves lots of debris. But one way or another, it seems to happen around most stars.
By Alycia J. Weinberger
NEWS & FEATURES
News Notes
• Rosetta's Diamond in the Sky
• Zooming in on Enceladus' Cracks
• Eta Carinae Prepares for X-ray Crash
and more...
Mission Update
By Jonathan McDowell
Skyscape
Short-Lived Sunspot
Image by Jerry Lodriguss
The Big Bang Machine
Europe's $11 billion particle accelerator won't just delve into the secrets of the sub-atomic world. It may shed light on some of cosmology's big questions.
By Greg Bryant
X-Rays Mark The Spot: A Newborn Supernova
For the first time ever, astronomers were able to catch a supernova in the act of exploding.
By Alicia Soderberg
Above the Clouds: Observing with the Keck Telescope
A new agreement is allowing Australian astronomers more time to use the 10-metre Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
By Christopher Fluke, Michael Murphy, and Adrian Malec
Discoveries
The First Transit of Venus.
By David Ellyard
PRODUCTS & REVIEWS
New Product Spotlight
• Astrodon's Narrowband filters
AS&T Test Report
Good Guiding, Low Budget
Orion's StarShoot provides accurate, inexpensive autoguiding.
By Alan Dyer
Books & Beyond
• Being Totally Prepared
• Uninspired Voyage
OBSERVING & EXPLORING
Binocular Highlight
Wonderful
By Les Dalrymple
Tonight's Sky
Galaxy Season
By Greg Bryant
Sun, Moon, and Planets
Venus Meets Jupiter
By Greg Bryant
Celestial Calendar
Crescents in the West
By Steve Kerr
Celestial Calendar
Closing Out The Year
By David Seargent
Celestial Calendar
A Good Taurid Shower?
By Greg Bryant
Exploring The Moon
A Swim in Mare Humorum
By Charles A. Wood
Suburban Star-Hop
Snowball Sighting
By Ken Hewitt-White
Targets
The Winged Horse
By Sue French
Deep Sky Delights
Pole Dancing
By Les Dalrymple
Double Star Notes
Gamma Andromedae and some Cetus doubles
By Ross Gould
ACTIVITIES & PEOPLE
Telescope Workshop
Baffle Your Scope's Focuser.
By Jerry Lodriguss
On a Beach in Siberia!
Eclipse observers in Siberia enjoyed good weather to experience 2008's total solar eclipse.
By Melissa Hulbert
Club Profile
Western Sydney Amateur Astronomy Group
By Gerry Aarts
Community News
Gallery
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Spectrum
Imagining Worlds
By Greg Bryant
Letters
Subscription Offer
Subscribe and save 10% on selected telescopes! See our offer
Manufacturer & Dealer Directory
Focal Point
Teenage Girl Beats Hubble!
By Gil McFarlane
Index to Advertisers