November 2005
Volume 1. Number 11
COVER STORY
Putting the bang in the Big Bang
Does a 25-year-old cosmic theory called "Inflation" hold the key to understanding the Big Bang?
By Steve Nadis
NEWS & FEATURES
News Notes
• Back to the Moon
• The Other Big Bang
• A Planet After All?
• Black Hole Blues?
• World First for NZ
• Two Gyros Are Better Than None
and more...
Spotlight On...
A Swan Song in Aquarius
By Karen B. Kwitter
All Systems Go!
Fancy a holiday in orbit? It's getting closer, but you'd better start saving your money now.
By Colin Burgess
Visions from the VLT
Spectacular celestial imagery from the behemoth of European telescopes.
By Jonathan Nally
Discovery Among The Discs
Unprecedented views in ultraviolet light reveal what may be a new generation of stars.
By Barry F. Madore and Armando Gil de Paz
OBSERVING & EXPLORING
Southern Binocular Highlights
A Cluster in the Wrong Spot
By Les Dalrymple
Sun, Moon, and Planets
Ready for the Red Planet?
By Jonathan Nally
Tonight's Sky
Migrating South
By Greg Bryant
Deep Sky Delights
Cloudy Nights, Part 2
By David Frew
Exploring the Moon
Mysteries of the Eastern Limb
By Charles A. Wood
Celestial Calendar
Pole Position
By David Seargent
Celestial Calendar
Red Giant Hides Behind Moon!
By Steve Kerr
Celestial Calendar
Solved: The Mars Crater Mystery
By Rodger W. Gordon and William Sheehan
PRODUCTS & REVIEWS
AS&T Test Report
Made in Russia
This range of optics could be just what you have been looking for.
By Steve Massey
AS&T Test Report
Canon's ESO 20Da
Will Canon's new digital SLR camera launch the next revolution in astrophotography?
By Alan Dyer
Books & Beyond
• Year of the Comets
• The Hunt for Planets
ACTIVITIES & PEOPLE
The Astronomy Scene
An international team of amateurs finds more than 100 supernovae.
By Edwin L. Aguirre
The Astronomy Scene
Amateur astronomy has come a long way in the last 30 years.
By Steve Lee
First Light: For Beginners
Illuminated finders make pointing a telescope easy and foolproof,
By Ed Ting
Ask AS&T
• Solar Eclipses on Other Planets
• From 1950 to 2000
and more...
Activities
Gallery
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Spectrum
How Far We've Come
By Jonathan Nally
Letters
• Image Spiked?
• SETI a wate
• Will the Real 10th Planet Please Stand Up?
and more...
Mission Update
By Jonathan McDowell
Subscription Offer
FREE! 18 Moon Phase Maps or a NASA DVD, see our offer
Data Pages
Focal Point
The Computer Age
By Eddie Trimarchi
Index to Advertisers