Astronomy - February 2014

CONTENTS

4 ASTRONOMY t FEBRUARY 2014

22 COVER STORY
Does methane flow
on Titan?
Scientists are eager to prove that
the river valleys and streambeds
on Saturn’s largest moon carry
liquid methane to its vast lakes.
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN

28
Searching for smart life
around small stars
Researchers have set their sights
on red dwarfs in hopes of making
a big discovery. SETH SHOSTAK

34
Ask Astro
An iron meteorite on Mars.

36
The Sky this Month

38
StarDome and
Path of the Planets

44

New light on our

Sun’s fate

T e Sun will lose 46 percent of its

mass before becoming a carbon

and oxygen cinder in 6.5 billion

years. Here’s how astronomers

know its destiny. JASON KALIRAI

50

Comet ISON’s

opening act

T e most anticipated comet in

decades got of to a good start.

MICHAEL E. BAKICH

52

Where other

astrophotographers

fear to tread

THOMAS V. DAVIS is committed to

shedding light on the dusty, dark

parts of the universe through his

portraits of nebulae.

56

What are we learning

from cosmic dust?

Tiny particles in

the solar system

may answer

some of its

biggest questions.

MEENAKSHI WADHWA

60

Astronomy tests

Levenhuk’s new refractor

T e Ra R110 ED Doublet OTA

of ers high-quality optics, good

portability, and nice styling — all

at a great price. TOM TRUSOCK

62

Explore the Trumpler

classes of clusters

Since 1930, astronomers have

divided the thousands of open

clusters into 36 types. Find out

what makes them dif erent.

MICHAEL E. BAKICH

COLUMNS

Strange Universe 11

BOB BERMAN

Secret Sky 14

STEPHEN JAMES O’MEARA

Observing Basics 18

GLENN CHAPLE

Astro Sketching 65

ERIKA RIX

Cosmic Imaging 66

TONY HALLAS

QUANTUM GRAVITY

Snapshot 9

Breakthrough 10

Astro News 12

IN EVERY ISSUE

From the Editor 6

Letters11, 6 6

New Products 67

We b Talk 67

Reader Gallery 68

Advertiser Index 73

Final Frontier 74

FE AT U R E S

Astronomy (ISSN 0091-6358, USPS 531-350) is pub-
lished monthly by Kalmbach Publishing 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 Astronomy, 21027 Crossroads
Circle, P. O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187–1612.
Canada Publication Mail Agreement #40010760.

FEBRUARY 2014

VOL. 42, NO. 2

Cosmic

Adventures

A video series

of wonders

large and small

Seasonal

Observing

Find great

targets in your

winter sky

Reader

Forums

Chat with

astronomy

enthusiasts

Ask Astro

Archive

Answers to all

of your cosmic

questions

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exclusive to Astronomy

magazine subscribers.

22

NASA/JPLCALTECH/SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE

ON THE COVER

The giant moon Titan appears in

silhouette against Saturn’s cloud

tops and edge-on rings.

Z

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