Sky & Telescope - March 2019 - 2

CONTENTS

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO ASTRONOMY

March 2019

VOL. 137, NO. 3

FEATURES

Cover Story:
14 Secrets of Polaris
The North Star presents a façade of
constancy, but it hides a capricious
temperament. By Camille M. Carlisle

20 Spinning Through Space

52
OBSERVING
41 March's Sky at a Glance

26 Placing the Pleiades
Gaia data solve a decades-long
controversy about the distance to
the Pleiades. By Guillermo Abramson

30 The Herschel Hustle
Are you up for the ultimate
observing challenge? By Tom Reiland

36 Nurture Your Newt:
Bathing Mirrors
Cleaning your reﬂector's optics
ensures top performance.
By Jerry Oltion

62 A Dream Fulﬁlled
The success of Muddy Run Observatory depends on local expertise,
shared goals, and strong relationships. By Robert Naeye

Lunar Almanac & Sky Chart

43 Binocular Highlight
By Mathew Wedel

S&T TEST REPORT
58 Daystar's Solar Scout 60C
By Johnny Horne
COLUMNS / DEPARTMENTS
4

Spectrum
By Peter Tyson

44 Planetary Almanac
6

From Our Readers

45 Under the Stars
By Fred Schaaf

75, 50 & 25 Years Ago
By Roger W. Sinnott

46 Sun, Moon & Planets
By Fred Schaaf

8 News Notes

Celestial Calendar
By S. N. Johnson-Roehr

12 Cosmic Relief
By David Grinspoon

52 Exploring the Solar System
By Thomas A. Dobbins

54 Deep-Sky Wonders
By Sue French

70 New Product Showcase
72

Astronomer's Workbench
By Jerry Oltion

Gallery

83 Event Calendar
Find us on
Facebook & Twitter
ON THE COVER

84 Focal Point
By Joshua Roth
ONLINE

BEGINNER'S GUIDE
Print out our free, 10-page handout
to give out at star parties and other
community events.
skyandtelescope.com/
getting-started
Star trails over AnzaBorrego Desert State
Park in California
PHOTO: DA NIEL J BA RR /
G E T T Y IM AG ES

IMAGING FOUNDATIONS
Want to break into astrophotography? Learn the fundamentals with
Richard Wright, Jr.
skyandtelescope.com/
astrophotography

WEBINARS
Join S&T staff and contributors
to learn about astrophotography,
equipment, constellations, and other
must-knows for amateurs.
skyandtelescope.com/classroom

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8 * SK Y & TELESCOPE
M A RCH 2 019

N ASA / JPL / USGS

To capture our dynamic universe,
sometimes our telescopes need to
show a little dynamism themselves.
By Benjamin Skuse

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Sky & Telescope - March 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - March 2019