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Observing in M33, the Pleiades, and Vincent van Gogh
In the November 2024 issue of Sky & Telescope, we hunt down the brightest stars and clusters in the Triangulum Galaxy (M33). We also explore what the nearest core-collapse supernova in a decade has taught us, thanks to its proximity in another nearby, face-on spiral (M101). Observations like these require a telescope, but although reflectors are the most popular among telescope-makers, it’s relatively straightforward to build a refractor with the right guidance — find those steps in these pages. Also in this issue, we investigate the ancient history behind why the Pleiades — often seen as six naked-eye stars — are described as Seven Sisters in myths and legends of so many ancient cultures. The explanation could lie in an astronomical event that occurred 100,000 years ago. Could this be one of the oldest stories ever told?
FEATURE ARTICLES:
A nearby stellar explosion has offered astronomers the chance to examine the event in detail.
By Kerry Hensley
A group of amateurs gathered last year to measure the gas giant’s gravitational effect on starlight.
By Don Bruns & Stan Moore
Observe M33’s Brightest Stars and Clusters
Grab your largest telescope and check out some of the Triangulum Galaxy’s best-kept secrets.
By Scott Harrington
Vincent van Gogh and the Setting Sun
When and where did the great Dutch artist create a pair of beautiful paintings?
By Donald W. Olson, Louis Verbraak, & Ferry Zijp
Many cultures tell intriguingly similar stories about the Pleiades.
By Ray Norris
Here’s how to make a telescope using lenses instead of mirrors.
By Jerry Oltion
Beyond the Printed Page:
Explore the indigenous rock art of Walinynga in the Aṉangu, Pitjantjatjara, and Yankunytjatjara lands of remote north-west South Australia.
Check here for the latest updates on Orion Telescopes & Binoculars and Meade Instruments after they closed their doors in early July.
Participate in the American Association of Variable Star Observers’ Spectroscopy Section.
Learn all about Tensegrity String Telescopes.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
This Taurus cluster is known as the Seven Sisters, but not all cultures saw them that way.
By Stephen James O’Meara
This month the Moon passes in front of Neptune, the Pleiades, and Spica.
By Bob King
Observing Jupiter’s “Blue Holes”
Look for these enigmatic features along the edge of the planet’s North Equatorial Belt.
By Thomas A. Dobbins
Rambling through eastern Andromeda is easy and fun.
By Ken Hewitt-White
Table of Contents
See what else November’s issue has to offer.
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