SKY_July2014.pdf

4 July 2014 sky & telescope

July 2014 VOL. 128, NO. 1

SKY AT A GLANCE

Our popular column highlights

celestial delights for the upcom-

ing week. Also available as an

app — with sky charts included!

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OBSERVING JULY

43 In This Section

44 July’s Sky at a Glance

45 Binocular Highlight

By Gary Seronik

46 Planetary Almanac

47 Northern Hemisphere’s Sky

By Fred Schaaf

48 Sun, Moon & Planets

By Fred Schaaf

50 Celestial Calendar

By Alan MacRobert

54 Exploring the Solar System

By J. Kelly Beatty

56 Deep-Sky Wonders

By Sue French

60 Going Deep

By Alan Whitman

S&T TEST REPORT

64 S&T Test Report

By Sean Walker

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

6 Spectrum

By Robert Naeye

11 Letters

12 75, 50 & 25 Years Ago

By Roger W. Sinnott

14 News Notes

42 New Product Showcase

62 Telescope Workshop

By Gary Seronik

76 Gallery

86 Focal Point

By Michael Deneen

SKY & TELESCOPE (ISSN 0037-6604) is published monthly by Sky & Telescope Media, LLC, 90 Sherman St., Cambridge, MA 02140-3264,

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PO Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Printed in the USA.

FEATURES

18 What’s Next for

Infl ation Cosmology

A new window has opened on what

made the Big Bang. A new branch

of astronomy is beginning to

peer through it. By Alan MacRobert

26 Cities from Space

Images taken from space can tell us

a lot about light pollution.

By Scott Kardel

34 The Case for

Structured Observing

Rigorous goals and methods can

enhance your stargazing experience

greatly. By Tristan J. Schwartz

38 Are Observing

Programs for You?

The Astronomical League has a

project for every taste and skill level.

By Ted Forte

68 Star-Testing Your Telescope

The stars that entice us can also

help us optimize our telescopes.

By Alan French

72 Probing the Planets

Explore hidden details in the solar

system with specialized fi lters.

By Christophe Pellier

II

A

m

COVER
STORY

S&TGREGG DINDERMAN ILLUSTRATION:

On the cover:

How did the

universe blow

up from noth-

ing into every-

thing? Now we

might know.

NASA AND THE HUBBLE HERITAGE TEAM (STSCI / AURA)