SUNSET: 
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Collaborative Imaging, Spring Outreach, and Compound Telescopes
In the May 2026 issue of Sky & Telescope, meet a group of collaborative astrophotographers from the Amateur Astronomers Association. Together they’re creating incredible deep-sky images by pooling their talents and sharing time on remotely operated telescopes in dark-sky regions in both hemispheres. On the topic of using multiple telescopes, some astronomers are jumping ship on the aperture wars. Instead of trying to build one or two giant telescopes, new projects like MOTHRA and Dragaonfly are combining many smaller telescopes to work as one, greatly improving their capabilities for a drastically reduced cost. We also have a selection of excellent targets to point those telescopes at and share with the public in this issue. And please, “stop trying to shoot down Venus!”
FEATURE ARTICLES:
Here are some all-time favorites to inspire people to look up.
By Ted Forte
These astrophotographers pool their resources for automated access to dark, pristine skies.
By Rick Mavrovich
Why build a giant telescope when you don’t have to?
By Govert Schilling
Might planets replete with liquid water bedew the galaxy?
By Arielle Frommer
“Stop Trying to Shoot Down Venus”
What is that strange light in the daytime sky?
By Don Olson
Beyond the Printed Page:
See more images from the Gateway Collaborative.
Use this website to create a list of Galilean moon transits.
Be notified immediately when T Coronae Borealis erupts.
Check out this telescope-hosting facility in Fort Davis, Texas.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Find out what Athena and Queen Elizabeth I have in common with Virgo.
By Stephen James O’Meara
Mars glows feebly at dawn while the Moon meets Antares . . . twice!
By Gary Seronik
Still Waiting for T Cor Bor’s Big Boom
The star system is “filling the tank” in preparation for its long-anticipated outburst.
By Bob King
Try this short hop from a bright double star to a distant galaxy.
By Ken Hewitt-White
Table of Contents
See what else May’s issue has to offer.
Comments
Arthur Fraser
March 26, 2026 at 10:25 pm
I presume that someone has already pointed out that Mars is plotted in the wrong location in the Planet Chart at the top of page 47 of your May 2026 edition of Sky & Telescope. Who is doing your proof reading?
Regards,
Art Fraser. ([email protected])
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Monica Young
March 30, 2026 at 11:25 am
Dear Arthur, You are correct about this error. We will be issuing an erratum in For the Record and will include an updated chart on this page: https://skyandtelescope.org/sky-and-telescope-magazine/sky-telescope-errata-2026/
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