November/December 2006

Volume 2. Number 8. Issue 20

COVER STORY

The Most Dangerous Asteroid Ever Found

Astronomers are keeping a very close eye on the asteroid Apophis.

By Daniel D. Durda

NEWS & FEATURES

News Notes

• Great Lakes on Titan

• Pinwheels Of Dust

• Space Station Construction Resumes

and more...

Spotlight On...The North America and Pelican Nebulae

An amateur astronomer processes publicly available professional images to create a breathtaking colour mosaic.

By Sean Walker

Losing It in Prague: The Inside Story of Pluto's Demotion

A retrospective on the raucous process by which the world's astronomers defined the word "planet".

By Owen Gingerich

Our Solar System's New Order

Hot on the heels of the IAU's Prague vote are new designations and names.

By Greg Bryant

The Mystery of the "WOW" Signal

An old radio signal remains a mystery.

By Surendra Verma

The 2006 CWAS AstroFest & David Malin Awards

Amateurs gathered in Parkes for a conference and the prestigious David Malin Awards

By John M. Sarkissian

Hot Topics & Cold Truths

The temperature here on Earth and on other planets depends on more than simply whether the Sun is shining.

By Phil Plait

OBSERVING & EXPLORING

Southern Binocular Highlight

The Queen of Globulars

By Les Dalrymple

Sun, Moon, and Planets

Rare Planetary Sights

By Greg Bryant

Tonight's Sky

Renamed and Reborn

By Greg Bryant

Deep Sky Delights

A Frolic in Fornax

By Les Dalrymple

Celestial Calendar

The Transit of Mercury

By Alan M. MacRobert and Greg Bryant

Exploring The Moon

Imbrium Mayhem

By Charles A. Wood

Comets

A Binocular Comet for Summer?

By David Seargent

Occultations

El Nath and the Full Moon

By Steve Kerr

Meteors

Remember November

By Adam Marsh

PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

AS&T Test Report

Meade's LightBridge Dobsonians

Simply elegant - the first mass-produced truss-tube Dobsonian reflectors

By Dennis di Cicco

Books & Beyond

• The Planets

• America's Astronomer King

ACTIVITIES & PEOPLE

Going Deep with a DSLR

Using digital cameras for astrophotography

By Chuck Vaughn

Filters For Better Stargazing

Making your viewing much more satisfying

By David W. Knisely

Ask AS&T

• How many photons enter your eye?

• Where can I find a sidereal clock?

• How do constellations look from other stars?

Discoveries

Tycho's Star and Halley's Comet

By David Ellyard

Activities

Gallery

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Spectrum

New Worlds To Explore

By Greg Bryant

Letters

• Transit of Mercury

• Pluto's Sad Demise

Subscription Offer

FREE Astronomy Yearbook! See our offer

Focal Point

Transitory Fame

By Darren Bellingham

Index to Advertisers