Astronomy – October 2019

2019

4 ASTRONOMY • OCTOBER 2019

18

Digging deep into Mars

Although dozens of spacecraft

have explored Mars’ surface,

InSight is the first to target the

planet’s interior. JIM BELL

28

Explore Ceres’

icy secrets

Take a trip to the dwarf planet

where minerals and water

blanket the surface, flung there

by volcanoes that spew ice.

MICHAEL CARROLL

36

Sky This Month

Uranus rides high in the Ram.

MARTIN RATCLIFFE AND

ALISTER LING

38

StarDome and

Path of the Planets

RICHARD TALCOTT;

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROEN KELLY

44

Hidden treats in the

Golden Triangle

Three double stars trace the

border of this celestial wonder,

which harbors a treasure-

trove of beautiful targets.

STEPHEN JAMES O’MEARA

48

Celebrate the deep

southern sky

A trip to Costa Rica can deliver

the lifelong dreams of a night

sky you have to see to believe.

DAVID J. EICHER

52

Observe the ice giants

Cross Uranus and Neptune off

your bucket list this month —

and then go for their moons.

MICHAEL E. BAKICH

56

Our ninth annual

Star Products

For the ninth time,

Astronomy’s editors have

searched the marketplace for

equipment designed to help all

of us enjoy our hobby a little

more. PHIL HARRINGTON

70

Ask Astro

Will Earth’s magnetic poles flip?

IN EVERY ISSUE

From the Editor 6

Astro Letters 8

Advertiser Index 67

Reader Gallery 72

Breakthrough 74

FEATURES

OCTOBER 2019

VOL. 47, NO. 10

Astronomy (ISSN 0091-6358, USPS 531-350)

is published monthly by Kalmbach Media

Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P. O. Box 1612,

Waukesha, WI 53187–1612. Periodicals postage

paid at Waukesha, WI, and additional offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

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Go to http://www.Astronomy.com

for info on the biggest news and

observing events, stunning photos,

informative videos, and more.

ONLINE

FAVORITES

9

QUANTUM GRAVITY

Everything you need to

know about the universe

this month: Finding

the Sun’s history on

the Moon, the concern

over Starlink satellites,

and more.

COLUMNS

Strange Universe 16

BOB BERMAN

Secret Sky 64

STEPHEN JAMES O’MEARA

Observing Basics 66

GLENN CHAPLE

CONTENTS 28

ON THE COVER

After landing on Mars in 2018,

NASA’s InSight spacecraft is

studying the Red Planet’s geology.

NASA/JPL-CALTECH

My Science

Shop

Perfect gifts for

your favorite

science geeks.

News

The latest

updates from

the science

and the hobby.

Dave’s

Universe

The inside

scoop from

the editor.

Picture of

the Day

Gorgeous

photos from

our readers.

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