Inside Sky & Telescope's January 2021 Issue
Sabrina Garvin Sky & Telescope
New Columns, Winter Galaxies, and Ice on the Moon
In the January 2021 issue of Sky & Telescope, we’re introducing three new columns: Evenings with the Stars, Suburban Stargazer, and Pro-Am Conjunction. Evenings with the Stars will focus on naked-eye stargazing, while Suburban Stargazer will help readers make the best of light-polluted skies. Pro-Am Conjunction looks at the connections between amateur and professional astronomers, starting with a classic in every sense of the word: the century-old American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). After constellation-gazing, we’re ready to break out the big scopes and head out in search of dark skies. We hunt down some stunning winter galaxies and offer helpful tips for capturing their intricate details. While we gaze up at the light from our galaxy and others, in this issue we’re also seeing the dark side: From the ice hidden in permanently shadowed craters on the Moon to the tiny particles that might be the answer to dark matter, we’re taking a long hard look at the darkness and beginning to wonder what else it might be hiding.
Featured Articles:
Axion Hunters
The search for an almost invisible and wholly hypothetical elementary particle is on!
By Benjamin Skuse
Winter’s Galaxy Groups
Head off the beaten path to expand your January observing list.
By Ted Forte
Looking for Ice in the Dark
Tiny spacecraft are launching to tell us more about the water ice that lurks in shadowed craters on the Moon.
By Christopher Cokinos
Picturing Galaxies
Here are some tips to get the most out of your galaxy images.
By Adam Block
The Schiller Enterprise
The story of one man’s attempt to recast the constellations of mythology with biblical figures.
By Michael Mendillo
Beyond the Printed Page:
Phosphine in the Clouds of Venus
Read about the discovery of a potential biosignature in Venus’s clouds.
American Association of Variable Star Observers
Participate in important ongoing astronomical research with the AAVSO.
Steve Gottlieb’s NGC Notes
Peruse Sky & Telescope Contributing Editor Steve Gottlieb’s observing notes on all 7,840 objects in the NGC catalog.
Amateur Astronomer Discovers a Large Asteroid
Learn about the kilometer-sized, potentially-hazardous near-Earth asteroid that was recently discovered by an amateur.
Also in this issue:
Orion’s Magnificent Seven
Winter’s best-known constellation is also its brightest.
By Fred Schaaf
Sky Highlights for 2021
A full year of observing enjoyment awaits.
By Bob King
The “Blue Clearing” on Mars
This legendary phenomenon is a product of Earth’s atmosphere rather than the Red Planet’s.
By Thomas A. Dobbins
Taking On Taurus
Even under bright city skies, the Bull contains celestial sights worth seeking.
By Ken Hewitt-White
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