4 AUSTRALIAN SKY & TELESCOPE July 2018
REGULARS
5Spectrum
6Newsnotes
70 Cosmic reliefFEATURES
12 Australia’s new space race
No longer lost in space, Australia is
finally to get its own space agency
with$41millionfundingoverits
firstfouryears,withthegoalof
stimulating the local industry.
By Jonathan Nally
14 AneweraforAustralian
astronomy
Australian optical astronomy
is rapidly evolving, as existing
telescopes change hands and an
international alliance brings access
to major new facilities.
By Fred Watson and Jane Urquhart
22 Space invaders
Howrealisthethreatthatagiant
asteroid or comet could strike Earth
andwipeusout?
By Peter Tyson
28 Spacerockrendezvous
This winter, two spacecraft will
bear down on their target asteroids,
preparingtosnatchrubbleandbring
it home to scientists.
By Dan Durda
36 Mars the mighty returns
The Red Planet is at its biggest and
brightest. Read on for the best tips on
what to see.
By Bob KingContents
July 2018 ISSUE 110, VOL. 14 NO. 5
OBSERVING & EXPLORING
42 Binocular highlight
Ptolemy’s Cluster in Scorpius.
By Jonathan Nally
44 Under the stars
AlifetimeofviewingMars.
By Fred Schaaf
46 Sun, Moon and planets
It’sthebesttimetoseeMars.
By Jonathan Nally
47 Meteors
Twowintermeteorshowerstosee.
By Con Stoitsis
48 Double star notes
Can you take on Hercules and win?
By Ross Gould
49 Variable stars
Three long-period luminaries.
By Alan Plummer
50 Comets
Three comets in our winter skies.
By David Seargent51 Targets
Nebulae and clusters of winter.
By Sue French
54 Exploring the Moon
Spotting hidden lunar craters.
By Charles A. Wood
56 Spotting Pluto
We show you where and when to see
the dwarf planet.
By S.N. Johnson-Roehr
58 Vesta at its best
Now’s a great time to spot this
denizen of the asteroid belt.
By S.N. Johnson-Roehr
60 Eclipses
July has two eclipses in store —
a partial solar and a total lunar.
By Jonathan Nally
61 Saturn’s opposition
Catch a great view of the ringed
planet this month.
By S.N. Johnson-RoehrP.14 A new future for Australian optical astronomy