HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL FIND in the Jul/Aug 2021 issue of Australian Sky & Telescope magazine — out now. Pick up a copy at your local newsagent, or grab the digital issue. You can also save some money by subscribing to the print or digital editions.
Features:
- Relics of a distant past — New observations and computer simulations are upending our ideas about how globular clusters — home to some of the oldest stars — formed.
- The Magellanic giant — A flood of new data has revolutionised our understanding of the Milky Way’s largest companion galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud.
- Cassini, and the birth of big science — Scientific innovations from this underappreciated 17th-century astronomer still reverberate today.
- Pathway to Pluto — Grab your telescope and journey into eastern Sagittarius to locate this remote dwarf planet.
- Halley’s Comet: A look back and ahead — Remembering the most recent return of the most famous “dirty snowball” of all.
Observing & exploring:
- Binocular highlight — Enjoy a tale of two Scorpius star clusters.
- Under the stars — Explore the path from Arcturus to Vega.
- Planets — It’s peak observing time for Jupiter and Saturn as they reach opposition.
- Meteors — Two meteor showers reach their peak in July.
- Comets — Will we see a rejuvenated Comet 15P/Finlay?
- Variable stars — Spotting supergiant stars that suddenly fade.
- Deep sky — A guided tour of planetary nebulae of the mid-south.
- Outer limits — How to home in on asteroid Hebe.
- Planets — Spot elusive features in Saturn’s rings.
Regular features:
- Test report — Putting the QHY5III462C planetary camera to the test.
- Astrophotography — How to make the most of whatever type of photographic gear you have.
- Astronomer’s workbench — An easy and unique Dobsonian design.
- Pro-am collaboration — Join NASA’s Exoplanet Watch project.
- Night life — Events and activities for astronomy enthusiasts.
Next issue
And here’s what’s coming up in the Sep/Oct 2021 issue — on sale on August 8.
- Dark constellations — When you look up, do you see the stars or the dark patches between them? Many long-lived cultures have drawn patterns in the sky not with brightness but with darkness.
- Star sleuths — Read how a professional astronomer and an amateur astronomer teamed up to study one of our galaxy’s weirdest stars.
- Buying binoculars — Buying a pair of binoculars has always been considered the best way to get into astronomy. We road test the latest hi-tech versions on the market today.
- Deep sky — Planning your night’s (or month’s or year’s!) observations has never been easier thanks to software. We check out the new Deep Sky Planner 8.
Australian Sky & Telescope is available from your local newsagent, or subscribe today to the print or digital edition. You can also get this issue singly in digital format.
