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Luna, Lunatics, and Lunar Samples

In the July 2024 issue of Sky & Telescope, we’ve got a case of Moon madness. First, we take you on a tour of the Moon paired with stunning sketches by Cindy Krach. Then, we travel back in time to meet with another group of lunatics, the wealthy and powerful intellectuals of the Lunar Society, who only met during the full Moon. While many of us may think we have a special relationship with Lady Luna, including the Lunar Society, no one has gotten quite as close as the Apollo astronauts who brought samples of her dust and rocks back to Earth, so we’re taking a look at all the out-of-this-world samples that humans and robots have brought back to our home planet so far. And finally, who lights up the Moon like nothing else? The Sun, of course. So we detail how to capture Sol’s brilliant light and exciting dark spots in incredible detail.

FEATURE ARTICLES:

Eye on the X-ray Sky

A highlight reel from the quarter-century of revolutionary science done by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.  

By Ákos Bogdán

The Age of Sample Returns

The science gained from sample-return missions has turned remote dots of light into real worlds.

By David Dickinson

The Rise and Fall of the Lunar Society

A small circle of learned friends helped launch the Industrial Revolution and modern astronomy.

By William Sheehan

Go Loony for Luna!

Look into the light for a change.   

By Jerry Oltion and Cindy Krach

Solar Image Processing

Use these helpful tips to make your Sun images shine.

By Chris Schur

Beyond the Printed Page:

JWST Measures the Universe’s Expansion

Read about how NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope ruled out one source of the “Hubble tension.”

Cool Neighbors

Help astronomers search for brown dwarfs.

Spica Occultation

Find out exactly when Spica will disappear behind the Moon in your area.

Shop@Sky

Check out all the informative books, excellent atlases, awesome globes, and more available on our online store.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Listen to the Stars

When you look at the night sky, can you perceive the sound of starlight?

By Stephen James O’Meara

Dwarf Planets at Opposition

Pluto and Ceres are at their best this month, though one is far easier to see than the other.

By Bob King

Seeing Straight

The limits of vision for solar system targets are better than you may think.

By Thomas A. Dobbins

Great Balls of Fire

Globular clusters in Hercules come in three sizes: small, medium, and large.

By Ken Hewitt-White

Table of Contents

See what else July’s issue has to offer.