February/March 2009
Volume 5. Number 2. Issue 35
COVER STORY
The Race to Find Alien Earths
No longer are planet hunters just turning up giant Jupiters and Neptunes around other stars. They're now collecting weird super-Earths. And the first actual Earth-size worlds are probably just a few years away.
By Camille M. Carlisle
NEWS & FEATURES
News Notes
• Mars Science Laboratory Delayed
• Beta Pictoris Planet Imaged?
• Black Hole Flares
and more...
Mission Update
By Jonathan McDowell
Cosmic Relief
Through the Glass, Darkly?
By David Grinspoon
Spotlight On...NGC 3603's Extreme Stars
In this vast nursery of stellar birth, one member is set to explode.
By Les Dalrymple
Insight
Ten things you may not know about the deepest visible light view of the universe.
Space Station Upgrade
NASA's latest shuttle flight to the International Space Station saw the crew capacity doubled.
Palomar's Big Eye
Much of 20th century astronomy was dominated by telescopes that grew from the vision of one man.
By Todd and Robin Mason
The Brightest Burst
A stellar cataclysm last March reached naked-eye visibility - from an incredible 7.5 billion light-years away.
By Derek Fox and Judith Racusin
Discoveries
The Darkening of the Sun
By David Ellyard
PRODUCTS & REVIEWS
New Product Spotlight
• Diffraction Limited's Maxim DL Version 5
Books & Beyond
• Martian Chronicle
• Star Light, Star Bright
AS&T Test Report
Double-Barrelled Observing
Shockproof, waterproof, and ready for action - these 50mm binoculars are designed for stargazing.
By Gary Seronik
OBSERVING & EXPLORING
Binocular Highlight
Twins within the Twins
By Les Dalrymple
Tonight's Sky
Hopping Around the Hare
By Greg Bryant
Sun, Moon, and Planets
Planets Throughout the Night
By Greg Bryant
Celestial Calendar
• Ceres at Opposition
• Northern Algol
Celestial Calendar
Antares' Last Stand
By Steve Kerr
Celestial Calendar
Comet Lulin's Naked-Eye Show
By David Seargent
Exploring The Moon
Revelations in a Shallow Sea
By Charles A. Wood
Suburban Star-Hop
A Chariot Full of Clusters
By Ken Hewitt-White
Deep Sky Delights
Argo's Starry Sail.
By Les Dalrymple
Double Star Notes
Sirius and some Canis Major Doubles
By Ross Gould
Targets
Dog-and-Pony Show
By Sue French
Targets
Through Taurus to the Anticentre
By James B. Kaler
ACTIVITIES & PEOPLE
Astronomy Online
Delving into Hubble's Hoard
By Stuart J. Goldman
Happy Birthday, Telescope
Fred Watson leads an astronomy tour to Europe
By Ray Johnston
Club Profile
Port Macquarie Astronomical Association
By Kevin Gallagher
Community News
Telescope Workshop
Meet the Chief
By Gary Seronik
Gallery
Ask AS&T
• Globular Cluster Dynamics
• DSLR Camera for Astronomy?
...and more
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Spectrum
Joint Missions to Mars
By Greg Bryant
Subscription Offer
Subscribe and receive a free 2009 Astronomy Calendar! See our offer
Manufacturer & Dealer Directory
Focal Point
Prized Lunar Mystique
By Christopher Cokinos
Index to Advertisers