May/June 2009
Volume 5.  Number 4.  Issue 37

COVER STORY

Solar Impact
Variations in the Sun's output influence Earth's climate in ways scientists are still trying to discern.
By Kristina Grifantini

NEWS & FEATURES 

News Notes

• A Neptune-Mass Planet
• Double Pulsar Pinned Down
• New Moon for Saturn

and more...

Mission Update
By Jonathan McDowell

Cosmic Relief
Mars: Feel the Vibe
By David Grinspoon

Insight
Ten things you may not know about Europa.

The Hunt for Missing Supernovae
Astronomers are using adaptive optics to help solve a supernova puzzle.
By Stuart Ryder and Seppo Mattila

The First Earth-Size Exoplanet
A newly discovered world may be the planet from hell, but it will also open the floodgates to future great discoveries.
By Brandon Tingley

Astronomy's Discovery Machine
As Hubble marks its 19th anniversary and receives one last upgrade, its discoveries have opened our eyes to a strange and wonderful universe.
By Greg Bryant

Cosmic Cataclysms
When giant black holes collide, the surrounding space-time trembles.
By Robert Zimmerman

PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

New Product Spotlight

• Howie Glatter's tuBlug collimation tool
• Celestron's SkyScout
• Apogee Instrument's Alta U8300 CCD camera

Books & Beyond

• The Herschel Legacy
• The Road to the Space Telescope

AS&T Test Report
FLI's Microline ML8300: High Resolution for Small Scopes
Tiny pixels make this CCD camera a big chip in a small package.
By Sean Walker 

OBSERVING & EXPLORING

Binocular Highlight
Doubly Deceptive
By Les Dalrymple

Tonight's Sky
Constellations Big and Small
By Greg Bryant

Sun, Moon, and Planets
Venus and Mars gather at Dawn
By Greg Bryant

Celestial Calendar
A Venusian Occultation
By Steve Kerr

Celestial Calendar
A Full Hand of Comets
By David Seargent

Celestial Calendar
An Early May Meteor Shower
By Greg Bryant

Exploring The Moon
Filling Up Copernicus
By Charles A. Wood

Suburban Star-Hop
Binaries in your Bootes
By Ken Hewitt-White

Deep Sky Delights
Centaurus A and friends
By Les Dalrymple

Double Star Notes
From the Centaur's Treasures
By Ross Gould

Targets
V is for Virgo
By Sue French

ACTIVITIES & PEOPLE

Imaging the Orion-Eridanus Superbubble
Commercially available cameras and software allow today's amateurs to create unprecedented images.
By Dennis di Cicco and Sean Walker

Telescope Workshop
A Slippery Slope
By Paul Mortfield

Club Profile
University of New England and Northern Tablelands Astronomical Society
By Chris Wyatt

Community News

Astronomy's Matriarch
William Herschel, one of the greatest astronomers of the 18th century, couldn't have done it alone.
By Michael Hoskin

Gallery

Ask AS&T

• Naked-eye temperature extremes
• Ephemeral constellations

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Spectrum
Hubble's Legacy
By Greg Bryant

Subscription Offer
Subscribe and receive a free Star Chart CD! See our offer

Manufacturer & Dealer Directory

Focal Point
Street-level Stargazing
By Duane Frybarger

Index to Advertisers