Here’s what you’ll find in the January 2020 issue of Australian Sky & Telescope magazine — on sale now at your local newsagent, or you can subscribe to the print or digital edition.

FEATURES:

• Martian weather is a killer — Storms, radiation and dust combine to create a deadly environment on the Red Planet.
• The river of stars — More than 3,000 square kilometres of South Australia’s Mid Murray district have been designated Australia’s first Dark Sky Reserve.
• Dark sky destination — New Zealand is aiming to become the first country to officially be declared a ‘Dark Sky Nation’.
• The neglected planets — Decades after a lone spacecraft flew by, Uranus and Neptune and their many moons still guard plenty of secrets.
• Space missions in 2020 — Dozens of spacecraft are exploring the Solar System. We show you where they are.
• Your night sky guide for 2020 — Lots of amazing celestial sights await stargazers this year.

OBSERVING & EXPLORING:

• Binocular viewing — Discover a stellar smorgasbord in Orion.
• Under the stars — See how the cosmos is always on the move.
• The planets — Venus dazzles in the dusk this month.
• Meteor showers — Your guide to meteor showers in 2020.
• Variable stars — How to catch a ‘unicorn’ star.
• Comets — Learn about Aristotle’s ‘flaming beam’ comet.
• Deep sky — Enjoy observing the famous Crab Nebula.
• The Moon — Seeing craters on the lunar limb.
• Observing challenge — Spotting changes in Hubble’s variable nebula.

REGULAR FEATURES:

• Imaging — A collaboration among three friends is providing a dramatic new look at the glowing hydrogen spread across our Milky Way galaxy.
• Test report — Road testing GSO’s new 25-cm classical Cassegrain telescope.
• Astronomer’s workbench — Need to re-aluminise your telescope’s mirror. Try silvering instead.
• Night life — events and activities for astronomy enthusiasts

…and much more.

Click here to subscribe to the print edition, or here to subscribe the digital edition.