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Nightscapes, Winter Outreach, and Wolf-Rayet Stars
In the February 2023 issue of Sky & Telescope, Alan Dyer shares his tips and tricks for creating incredible nightscapes and stunning panoramas. While we’re capturing bits and pieces of the sky from Earth, the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission is mapping stars along the entire celestial sphere. We’re covering the enormous contribution this space observatory has made to astronomy so far. Even as Gaia takes us into the future of star maps, we’re celebrating their history with a look at the astronomer who introduced 16 of our modern constellations. From constellations to star maps, we’re on the path to an improved picture of what our galaxy looks like from the outside. Recently, astronomers charted a previously unknown structure, a bridge between the Local Arm and the Perseus Arm that they’re calling the Cepheus Spur.
FEATURE ARTICLES:
The Allure of Wolf-Rayet Stars
These rare jewels create powerful winds and mesmerizing dust spirals.
By Greg Bryant
Showing the public celestial sights through a telescope can be a wonderfully rewarding experience.
By Ted Forte
The Constellations of Petrus Plancius
A little-known astronomer introduced 16 of our 88 constellations. Who was he?
By Ray Harris
This feature in our galaxy drapes distant luminaries across the northern sky from Cepheus to Orion.
By Ken Croswell
The prolific surveyor has mapped the universe and unraveled our galaxy’s history.
By Govert Schilling
Panoramic mosaics can show far more than a single image ever can.
By Alan Dyer
Beyond the Printed Page:
See the stunning images of NASA’s DART mission colliding with Dimorphos.
Read our guide to using laser pointers safely.
Check out this catalog of Wolf-Rayet stars.
Find out about supernova detections as they are reported.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
These celestial treasures are yours for the taking if your skies are dark enough.
By Fred Schaaf
Eight icy visitors are expected to be bright enough for modest backyard scopes.
By Bob King
Look for tiny clues that reveal the true nature of light plains.
By Charles Wood
Great night-sky shots can be made with just a camera, lens, and tripod.
By Tony Puerzer
Table of Contents
See what else February’s issue has to offer.
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