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
42
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
7
75, 50 & 25 Years Ago
By Roger W. Sinnott
46 Sun, Moon & Planets
By Fred Schaaf
8 News Notes
48
Celestial Calendar
By S. N. Johnson-Roehr
12 Cosmic Relief
By David Grinspoon
52 Exploring the Solar System
By Thomas A. Dobbins
68
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
2
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
SKY & TELESCOPE (ISSN 0037-6604) is published monthly by Sky & Telescope, a division of F+W Media, Inc., 90 Sherman St., Cambridge, MA 02140-3264, USA. Phone: 800-2530245 (customer service/subscriptions), 888-253-0230 (product orders), 617-864-7360 (all other calls). Fax: 617-864-6117. Website: skyandtelescope.com. ©2019 F+W Media, Inc.
All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, Massachusetts, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail sales agreement #40029823. Canadian return
address: 2744 Edna St., Windsor, ON, Canada N8Y 1V2. Canadian GST Reg. #R128921855. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sky & Telescope, PO Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL
32142-0235. Printed in the USA.
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
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/getting-started
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astrophotography
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/classroom
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/getting-started
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astrophotography
http://www.skyandtelescope.com
Sky & Telescope - March 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - March 2019
Contents
Sky & Telescope - March 2019 - Cover1
Sky & Telescope - March 2019 - Cover2
Sky & Telescope - March 2019 - 1
Sky & Telescope - March 2019 - Contents
Sky & Telescope - March 2019 - 3
Sky & Telescope - March 2019 - 4
Sky & Telescope - March 2019 - 5
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