Inside the March 2023 Issue

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Earth’s Water, Spiral Galaxies, and the Southern Unicorn

In the March 2023 issue of Sky & Telescope, we’re diving into Earth’s vast oceans and asking: Where did they come from? Scientists long suspected that comets were the culprits, but now, carbonaceous chondrites have become the target of careful investigation. Then, we’re zooming out to take in a much bigger mystery, namely how galaxies get their spiral arms. And speaking of zooming out, we’re discussing how to adjust our imaging techniques to fit the latest cameras to hit the market. Once we’re all set up and ready to go, we’ll point those cameras at the light and dark nebulae of Monoceros, the Unicorn, as described in Richard Wilds’ article.

FEATURE ARTICLES:

Where Do Spirals Come From?

Spiral galaxies are ubiquitous in the nearby universe, yet we still don’t know how their patterns arise.

By Monica Young

Appreciating Earthshine

This subtle celestial spectacle is not only a wonder to behold, it also has some surprising uses.  

By Thomas A. Dobbins and William Sheehan

Dust in the Southern Unicorn

Look toward Monoceros to find an eclectic collection of bright and dark nebulae.

By Richard P. Wilds

Earth’s Wellspring

We live on a planet covered in water, but where did this water come from?

By Javier Barbuzano

Stepping Up to CMOS

Upgrading to the latest cameras may require changing your imaging techniques.

By Ron Brecher

Beyond the Printed Page:

Artemis 1 Lift-Off

Read about the first flight of the Artemis program.

Spinning Galaxy

Watch this rendering of classical density-wave theory.

Project Phaedra

Help transcribe thousands of logbooks and notebooks belonging to the astronomical computers and astronomers of Harvard College Observatory.

Dobashi Dark Nebulae

Check out Kazuhito Dobashi and colleagues’ “Atlas and Catalog of Dark Clouds Based on Digitized Sky Survey I."

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Sighting the Beehive

The celestial Crab holds a misty, naked-eye treasure.

By Fred Schaaf

Ceres at Opposition

The brightest dwarf planet visits galaxies in Virgo during its upcoming apparition.

By Bob King

Hunting for Venusian Fireballs

Is it possible to see meteors on the nightside of our sister planet?

By Thomas A. Dobbins

Best Foot Forward

Deep-sky treasures abound in the westernmost foot of Gemini.

By Ken Hewitt-White

Table of Contents

See what else March’s issue has to offer.