November/December 2009
Volume 5.  Number 8.  Issue 41

COVER STORY

The New Habitable Zones
Microbes could thrive in all sorts of "impossible" places on other worlds. Could larger creatures too?
By Chris Impey

NEWS & FEATURES 

News Notes

• Starbirth Myth...Busted!
• New Zealand joins Australia's SKA bid
• Boiling, Bubbly Betelgeuse

and more...

Mission Update
By Jonathan McDowell

Cosmic Relief
To Explore the Same Old New Worlds
By David Grinspoon

Discoveries
The first of the "Island Universes"
By David Ellyard

Spotlight On...The Perseus Double Cluster
One of the night sky's most photogenic objects refuses to yield all its secrets.
By Kenneth Janes

Jupiter Takes a Hit
On July 19th, 15 years after pieces of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 rained down onto its atmosphere, the King of Planets was again bruised by an impact.
By J. Kelly Beatty

Who Invented the Telescope?
The story is not as simple as you've been told. It's more interesting.
By Albert Van Helden

PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

New Product Spotlight

• Hubble Optics's Artifical Star
• Astrodon's Photometrics Sloan filter set
• Atik Cameras' 314L+ CCD camera
• and more...

AS&T Test Report
A Smart 12-inch Dob
This smooth operator from Orion Telescopes combines an impressive set of features with big-aperture performance.
By Gary Seronik

Quick Look: Celestron's FirstScope
Can Celestron's new FirstScope totally redefine the concept of a beginner's telescope?
By Dennis di Cicco

OBSERVING & EXPLORING

Binocular Highlight
Daughters of Atlas
By Les Dalrymple

Tonight's Sky
Near and Far
By Greg Bryant

Sun, Moon, and Planets
Jupiter and Neptune pair up again
By Greg Bryant

Celestial Calendar
The Full Moon and the Seven Sisters
By Steve Kerr

Celestial Calendar
Comets at Year's End
By David Seargent

Exploring The Moon
Breaking Ground
By Charles A. Wood

Deep Sky Delights
In Time for Christmas
By Les Dalrymple

Double Star Notes
Caught in the Net
By Ross Gould

Targets
Square Dancing
By Sue French

ACTIVITIES & PEOPLE

Community News

China 2009
Two reports on tours to see the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century. Weather alas let down many observers.
By Melissa Hulbert and by Peter Anderson

Imaging Elusive Mercury
Capturing the closest planet to the Sun takes dedication and a few creative imaging techniques.
By John Boudreau

Gallery

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Spectrum
Explore the Universe
By Greg Bryant

Subscription Offer
Subscribe for 2 years and receive a free Astronomy 2010 yearbook!

Manufacturer & Dealer Directory

Focal Point
How I Found a Supernova
By Caroline Moore

Index to Advertisers