May/June 2012
Volume 8.  Number 4.  Issue 61

COVER STORY

Einstein's Shadow
A planet-wide telescope sets its sights on the well-kept secrets of black holes.
By Camille M. Carlisle

NEWS & FEATURES 

News Notes

• Potentially Habitable World
• Largest Stellar Jet
• Pluto and Eris

and more...

5 Years Ago
By Greg Bryant

Cosmic Relief
My Apologies to Mercury
By David Grinspoon

Lowell's New Discovery Machine
The Discovery Channel Telescope will bring the exploration of the universe to the public on a global scale.
By Edwin L. Aquirre & Imelda B. Joson

The Southern Coalsack
There's much more to the Coalsack than meets the eye.
By B-G Andersson

In the Footsteps of the First Recorded Transit of Venus
In the English village where Jeremiah Horrocks predicted and watched an epochal sky event, he's still a hometown hero centuries later.
By Eli Maor

PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

New Product Showcase

AS&T Test Report: Coronado's SolarMax II Scopes
After several years in the doldrums, solar observers once again can rejoice: the Sun is active.
By Dennis di Cicco

OBSERVING & EXPLORING

Binocular Highlight
Zubenelgenubi
By Les Dalrymple

Tonight's Sky
Gems of the North
By Greg Bryant

Sun, Moon, and Planets
Eclipsed by a Transit
By Greg Bryant

Celestial Calendar
Farewell to Garradd
By David Seargent

Celestial Calendar
V854 Centauri
By Alan Plummer

Exploring the Moon
Over The Edge
By Charles A. Wood

Exploring the Solar System
Enigma of the Ashen Light
By Thomas Dobbins

Celestial Calendar
An Evening Partial Lunar Eclipse
By Greg Bryant

The June Transit of Venus
On 6th June, Venus will cross the Sun for the last time this century. Be prepared.
By Fred Espenak & Jay Anderson

Double Star Notes
As The Crow Flies
By Ross Gould

Targets
Hydra's Coils
By Sue French

Deep Sky Delights
In the Shadows of Antares
By Les Dalrymple

ACTIVITIES & PEOPLE

Telescope Workshop
A Junk-Shed Bino Mount
By Gary Seronik

Building Mosaics in PixInsight
Stitching together seamless mosaics is easy with this multi-platform software.
By Rogelio Bernal Andreo

Gallery

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Spectrum
From Numbers to Sky Simulations
By Greg Bryant

Subscription Offer
Subscribe and receive a free Moon Map!

Manufacturer & Dealer Directory

Index to Advertisers

Focal Point
Galaxies in My Backyard
By Ted Rafferty