Inside the May 2023 Issue

Cosmic Neutrinos, Edge-On Galaxy NGC 4565, and Star Names

In the May 2023 issue of Sky & Telescope, we’re skimming the edges of NGC 4565, a stunning sideways galaxy in Coma Berenices. We’ll also show you how to capture all of this edge-on galaxy’s fine detail using the latest live-stacking cameras. Plus, come join us as we explore the specialized observatories built to hunt down exoplanets and elusive particles known as neutrinos. Also in this issue, can you name all 450 officially approved colloquial star names? We’ll get you started with Absolutno, a star that got its name in 2019 because of its exoplanet. This star’s name may be first on the list alphabetically, but it’s also one of the youngest. Many of the names on the International Astronomical Union’s list go back almost 2,000 years, and we trace that long history.

FEATURE ARTICLES:

Catching Cosmic Neutrinos

Scientists are building two vast “observatories” to help them study elusive particles.

By Govert Schilling

The Great Edge-On Galaxy of Spring

Let’s explore springtime’s stunning sideways galaxy.  

By Howard Banich

The Past and Future of Star Names

Star names trace the diverse roots of modern science.

By Tony Flanders

Exoplanets Everywhere

The TESS space telescope is expanding our knowledge of exoplanets to those orbiting the smallest and closest stars.  

By Knicole Colón

Live-Stacking the Deep Sky

Latest-generation CMOS cameras make astrophotography easier than ever.

By Sean Walker

Beyond the Printed Page:

The MDW Hydrogen-Alpha Sky Survey

Check out this on-going, all-sky survey being created by three amateurs.

Globe at Night

Help raise awareness about light pollution.

Planet Hunter

Join the hunt for new worlds.

Stellar History

Read more about the history of star names.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Appreciating Coma Berenices

What the constellation lacks in luster, it makes up for in wonder.

By Fred Schaaf

Jupiter Hides Behind the Moon

Catch a rare occultation of the solar system’s biggest planet.

By Bob King

The Ashen Light of Venus

Recent spacecraft images lend new credibility to a controversial planetary feature.

By Thomas A. Dobbins

Aiming High for M97 and M108

Two faint Messier objects lie alongside the Big Dipper overhead at nightfall.

By Ken Hewitt-White

Table of Contents

See what else May’s issue has to offer.