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In the Current Issue of Astronomy
January 2003

Under Alien Skies
Have you ever wondered how the sky might appear from other locations in the galaxy? Here’s how such “alien skies” might differ from our own. — Philip Plait

Mars on Earth
Space scientists hope to land humans on Mars by 2020. But an ongoing experiment in Utah shows they still have a lot to master. — Govert Schilling
Related Online Content:
Music on Mars
It wasn't all science at a simulated Mars base in Utah last spring.
— Vanessa Thomas and Frank Schubert

Join the Hunt
A new observing program based on CCD cameras lets backyard astronomers join the search for extrasolar planets. — Greg Laughlin and Tim Castellano
Related Online Content:
Transitsearch.org FAQ
Find out how you can help look for transiting extrasolar planets.
Detecting Extrasolar Planets
Astronomers search for new planets by staring at other suns.
— Christine Griffin
You Too Can Find a Planet
This activity will walk you through the steps of discovering a planet with the "radial velocity" method. — Vanessa Thomas

Sky Show
Jupiter and Saturn rule the night, while the Quadrantid meteor shower coincides with the New Moon. — Martin Ratcliffe and Alister Ling

The Comet Seekers
Competing with robotic telescopes that are constantly scanning the skies, amateur comet hunters are yielding results through persistence. — Tom Polakis

Seeing Double
Find out which double stars should top your observing list.
— Fred Ringwald
Related Online Content:
Mizar A Movie
An optical interferometer records the dance steps of the two stars of Mizar A.

Going Global
With the ability to locate itself in seconds, the Celestron NexStar 8 GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope offers stargazers a sleek, yet easy-to-use scope. — Phil Harrington

Sketching the Solar System
Learn the technique backyard astronomers use to enhance their observation skills. — Lee T. Macdonald

Astronomy 101

Strange Universe

Ask Astro
The editors of Astronomy answer your questions about the sky and the universe.

Regards,
Mark