FEATURED ARTICLES

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NASA's New Airborne Observatory
Flown on a Boeing 747, SOFIA will carry infrared astronomy to new heights.
By Luke Keller and Jürgen Wolf

The Hunt for Super-Earths
Astronomers are finding and studying worlds just a little larger than ours.
By Sara Seager

Beneath the Shroud of Venus
With careful planning, amateurs can map the surface of our nearest neighbor.
By Daniele Gaspari

Sagitta, the Arrow
Track down some little-known nebulae and star clusters in the celestial Arrow.
By Sue French

BEYOND THE PRINTED PAGE

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Asteroid Maven
An award-winning amateur astronomer talks about the joy of being on the cutting edge of asteroid research.
By Robert Stephens

Working on SOFIA
One of the authors of ourfeature article discusses his role in developing the SOFIA observatory.
By Luke Keller

Prospects for Super-Earths
A leading planetary scientist talks about the prospects for future exoplanet discoveries.
By Sara Seager

Naked-Eye Exoplanet Host Stars
The authors have put together a list of 20 naked-eye stars that host exoplanets. Point out some of these at your next star party, and wave hello — who knows, someone may be waving back.
By Michael Deneen and Bill Waller

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

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Megapixel Imaging for Less: SBIG's ST-8300M CCD Camera
Don't be fooled by the price; this camera is built for serious imaging.
By Dennis di Cicco

Eoncounters with Comet Hartley 2
A recently discovered comet should brighten to naked-eye visibility this October.
By Greg Bryant

William Optics FLT-98 Apochromatic Refractor
Our senior equipment editor takes a Quick Look at this excellent apochromatic refractor.
By Dennis di Cicco

Table of Contents
See what else October's issue has to offer.