SUNSET: 
Sky & Telescope October 2011
Sky & Telescope's October 2011 issue is now available to digital subscribers.
A Closer Peek at Vesta
This week, Earth was hit by a barrage of intriguing images of Vesta — all courtesy of Dawn, NASA's latest asteroid orbiter!
Hubble Spots New Moon Orbiting Pluto
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a new moon orbiting the icy planet Pluto.
Watch a Star Wink Out on September 3rd
On the evening of Saturday, September 3rd, the dark edge of the Moon will cover the 2.3-magnitude star Delta Scorpii from the eastern and southern U.S. to northern Venezuela.
A New Radio Observatory in Space
With the long-awaited (and long-overdue) launch of Russia's Spektr-R spacecraft, radio astronomers can look forward to resolving never-before-possible details in the dynamic cores of active galaxies and other exotic targets.
Rare Occultation by a Double Asteroid
Early on Tuesday, July 19th, lucky observers along a 120-mile-wide path from north-central California to central Saskatchewan have a chance to watch a big, enigmatic double asteroid briefly cover a relatively bright star in Aquarius.
Even if you're nowhere near the path, one enterprising observer plans a live webcast of the view through his telescopes during the event.
Dawn Arrives at Vesta
NASA's spacecraft Dawn entered orbit around Vesta on July 16th and is preparing for a year's observation of the second-largest body in the asteroid belt.
Does Air Pollution Alter Lunar Eclipses?
Observations of June 15th’s total lunar eclipse suggest that smoggy skies over China created unusual patterns in the umbral glow on the Moon.
Messy Cleanup Awaits Subaru Telescope
It's always bad news when your coolant line ruptures and spews antifreeze everywhere. It's really bad news when the stuff leaks all over one of the world's largest telescopes.
Neptune in Motion
Sky and Telescope's editor Sean Walker puts together NASA's anniversary images of Neptune to create a movie that shows a day on the blue planet.
More on Saturn's Thunderstorm
Two studies reveal that the white smear across Saturn's northern face was caused by a deep seated thunder storm that discharged powerful lightning bolts for days on end.
Remembering Tom Gehrels (1925-2011)
Dutch-born planetary scientist and asteroid hunter Tom Gehrels passed away on July 11th. Sky & Telescope contributing editor Govert Schilling shares his memories of a unique person.
The Truth About Neptune's Spin
By tracking two visible features in Neptune's atmosphere, a University of Arizona astronomer has clocked a new spin rate for the blue planet. But does this mean the Voyager results from 1989 are wrong?
Hail and Farewell, Atlantis!
Sky & Telescope's veteran space-science reporter muses on his long association with the Space Shuttle after witnessing its final launch at 10:29 a.m. EDT on Friday, June 8, 2011.
Happy Birthday, Neptune!
On July 12th, Neptune completed one full circuit around the Sun since its discovery on the night of Sept 23-24, 1846.
Will the Webb Telescope Be Canceled?
NASA's next-generation space observatory is already woefully over budget and behind schedule. But if Congressional money-minders have their way, the project will be killed outright in the months ahead.
Asteroid Flyby Yields New Thinking
When the little asteroid 2011 MD zipped within 8,000 miles of Earth in late June, dynamicists realized they need to change the way they compute such close flybys.
ALCon Meets Under Dark Mountain Skies
With bright stars all night and amateur-astronomical enthusiasm all day, America's biggest coalition of astronomy clubs held a bang-up annual convention.
A Paradigm-Shattering Quasar
A team of European astronomers has discovered the most distant known quasar.But at its heart is a monstrous black hole that could rob theorists of a few nights' sleep.
Two More Moonlets for Jupiter
Astronomers have discovered a pair of tiny satellites traveling far from Jupiter. So which planet — Jupiter or Saturn — now has the most moons?
