Australian Sky & Telescope

Australian Sky & Telescope is a world-class magazine about the science and hobby of astronomy.  Combining the formidable worldwide resources of its venerable parent magazine with the talents of the best science writers and photographers in Australia, Australian Sky & Telescope is a magazine produced specifically for the Southern Hemisphere’s astronomers.

Astrophotos – be in it to win it

Solid evidence of water ice on the Moon

Astronomers ‘weigh’ Beta Pictoris b

Scientists successfully predict shape of the solar corona

IN BRIEF

Sibling rivalry incited Eta Carinae’s explosion

A nebulous existence • For both Venus and Earth, life’s last refuge might lie in the clouds.

Celestial sensations

FAST FACTS

Return to the Iron Planet • An ungainly stack of satellites is set to double the number of spacecraft that have visited Mercury.

BEPI COLOMBO, THE MAN

Essential astronomy reading • These Australian-produced titles are must-haves for all astronomy enthusiasts. Order yours today, and don’t forget your friends and family for Christmas!

MONSTER SCIENCE • The next generation of superscopes will have truck-size instruments and universe-size science projects.

First-generation Eyes • Listed are instruments currently slated to be part of the first-light package. Astronomers are already discussing second-generation instruments. Wavelength ranges and fields of view are not final, as some teams are still considering design options.

What about Webb?

MARS The INSIDE story • With the arrival of NASA’s Insight lander, geophysicists hope to learn what goes on deep in the Red Planet’s interior.

A seismic setback

Sky Guide 2019 • Eclipses, a transit of Mercury, occultations of Saturn and plenty more celestial phenomena await stargazers this year. Use this sky guide to help you plan your observing sessions. Dates and times are for eastern Australia unless otherwise noted.

USING THE STAR CHART

The Galactic rim

Rains of Fire • Meteor showers elicit wonder in one and all.

Mars at night, Venus at dawn • There’s plenty of planetary activity to see during the first month of 2019.

Meteor showers for 2019 • Moonless nights will come to the rescue of many showers this year.

LUNAR PHENOMENA

SKY PHENOMENA

Comet prospects for 2019 • The year is shaping up as a slow one (so far) for visual comet observers.

Leader of the pack • S Doradus, a famous southern star, needs your attention.

ACTION AT JUPITER

Say hello to Hebe • Catch a glimpse of the fifth-brightest main-belt asteroid this December and January.

Summer’s mighty hunter • Look to Orion, the embodiment of the season’s night sky, to discover a diverse collection of wonders.

Imbrium’s eyebrow • Is oddly shaped Mare Frigoris part of the Imbrium impact basin?

Getting the best from your backyard • Imaging from a suburban backyard can be rewarding, even under light-polluted skies.

The Fastest Stars • Exploding white dwarfs can hurl their companions away at record speed, dooming them to roam intergalactic space for all eternity.

ESCAPING the Galaxy • NNow the wounded white dwarf sails through space on its own, minus the partner that set off the fireworks.

HOT PRODUCTS • Each year we scour the marketplace searching for what we think are the year’s most interesting new products. Our Hot Products list for 2019 includes a variety of telescopes and accessories and, as is often the case, includes some products caught our eye because of their extraordinary value — equipment offering features and performance at a cost well below that of similar items in the past.

Chilescope Astronomy on Demand...