Astronomy - USA (2021-12)

4 ASTRONOMY • DECEMBER 2021

16 COVER STORY

Cosmic tour of

the planets

With thousands of exotic

exoplanets known, the worlds

of our solar system may seem

rather dull. Trust us, they’re

not. JAKE PARKS

24

How to swallow a star

When a star disappears down

the throat of a black hole, the

flash is just the start of the

show. YVETTE CENDES

32

Sky This Month

Venus shines bright.

MARTIN RATCLIFFE AND

ALISTER LING

34

StarDome and

Paths of the Planets

RICHARD TALCOTT;^

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROEN KELLY

40

Double down on

double stars

Roughly half the sky’s stars

have a partner. Here are

some of the most famous,

colorful, and compelling pairs.

RAYMOND SHUBINSKI

44

A total solar eclipse

over Antarctica

To chase down the Moon’s

shadow this month, you’ll

need to put yourself on ice.

MICHAEL E. BAKICH

48

Unveiling the clouds

of Venus

Venusian clouds have mystified

astronomers for decades. But

recent attempts to explain

them have led to tantalizing

prospects. WILLIAM SHEEHAN

54

Defining time

Even though time has existed

since the beginning of, well,

time, it was still necessary to

invent it. RAYMOND SHUBINSKI

58

Capture the sky with

Stellarvue’s SVX 102T

This scope is perfect for

astrophotographers and visual

observers alike. TONY HALLAS

62

Ask Astro

Rocket fuel.

IN EVERY ISSUE

From the Editor 5

Astro Letters 6

New Products 61

Advertiser Index 61

Reader Gallery 64

Breakthrough 66

FEATURES

DECEMBER 2021

VOL. 49, NO. 12

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

7

QUANTUM GRAVITY

Everything you need to

know about the universe

this month: An asteroid

that fizzles, Perseverance

collects its first samples,

the Milky Way’s broken

arm, and more!

COLUMNS

Strange Universe 12

BOB BERMAN

Observing Basics 13

GLENN CHAPLE

Secret Sky 14

STEPHEN JAMES O’MEARA

Binocular Universe 60

PHIL HARRINGTON

CONTENTS 24

ON THE COVER

Saturn, our most beautiful planet,

leads a parade of discoveries

about the solar system. NASA/JPL

My Science

Shop

Perfect gifts for

your favorite

science geeks.

Sky This

Week

A daily digest

of celestial

events.

Ask Astro

Archives

Answers to all

your cosmic

questions.

Trips and

Tours

Travel the world

with the staff of

Astronomy.

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