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.

Stargazing during the lockdown

Australian Sky & Telescope

NEWS NOTES

The first rover on Mars • Sojourner became the first rover to roam across another planet.

A midwinter night’s dream • Dark sky campaigners are gearing up for a world-record attempt at measuring light pollution on June 21.

SWAN hunting • An Aussie amateur has claimed his eighth comet discovery from SOHO space mission data.

Stellar archaeology • Astronomers are illuminating the universe’s early days by studying chemical patterns in the oldest stars.

THE FIRST SUPERNOVAE

Understanding stellar populations

Seventy-nine & counting: Finding Jupiter’s moons • The discovery of the Jovian satellites enhanced our understanding of the Solar System and changed the course of history.

NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Treasures of the Sharpless Catalogue • Sample some of the delights in the first comprehensive catalogue of nebulae.

A curious straight ray • Join the author on his endeavour to observe and sketch the relativistic jet in Messier 87.

Discovery of the jet

A wealth of wonders

USING THE STAR CHART

Spindle in the Sextant

Ophiuchus & friends • The celestial serpent bearer has plenty of interesting company.

Here be giants • The gas giant planets Jupiter and Saturn will govern our night sky this winter.

SKY PHENOMENA

LUNAR PHENOMENA

Radiant conditions • Several meteor showers to see in July and August.

Old and new favourites • A handful of comets old and new are keeping us entertained.

Sting in the Scorpion • U Scorpii is due to blow its top soon.

Peering over the limb • Spot evidence of these hidden farside features during favourable librations.

Seeing through the dust • Turning to technology can improve your resolution of globular clusters.

Dust-obscured globular star clusters

Leaders of the opposition • Two bright planets and one ‘former’ planet reach opposition this month.

A Martian sneak peek • One of the best showings of the Red Planet in decades begins now.

Go, no-go for Mars missions

Exploring the deep sky with video • With a little tech, you can see farther and share the view.

VIDEO GALLERY

Mars coughs up another mystery • What’s behind the strangely fluctuating levels of oxygen on the Red Planet?

The Optolong L-eNhance filter • This dual-bandpass filter permits deep sky imaging of nebulae with colour cameras even under light-polluted conditions.

QHYCCD’s new 60-megapixel camera • CMOS detectors are the future of astroimaging, and the new QHY600M camera is giving us a state-of-the-art taste of that future today.

Pipe-fitting mounts • An old idea is still going strong.

Keeping our heads up • The COVID crisis isn’t stopping amateur astronomers from enjoying the night sky.

CALENDAR

TG Tan

Astrophotos from our readers

Next Issue ON SALE August 13

I did not discover Planet 9 • But for one dizzying day I couldn’t rule out the possibility that I had.