Astronomy August 2003

Martian chronicle
During four centuries of earthbound observations, astronomers seeking detail on the Red Planet found plenty — much of it real, some of it imagined. — Geoff Chester

What is Mars trying to hide?
Tattooed with craters and gullies, this dusty planet holds secrets of a wild youth. Scientists are studying the scars to piece together Mars’s active past, which may not have ended as long ago as we think. — William K. Hartmann

Blazing a new path
With a single goal — to test the hypothesis that Mars once had an earthlike geology, climate, and maybe even biology — the Mars Exploration Rovers are set to rove NASA into a new era of planetary exploration. — Jim Bell

Lupus and Norma
Stunning star clusters, picturesque planetary nebulae, and glittering galaxies lend some of the Milky Way’s sparkle to the Wolf and Carpenter’s Square. — Tom Polakis

Get ready for Mars
After all the previews, build-ups, and prognostications, the time for observing Mars at its best finally has arrived. Use these helpful hints to get the most out of the time you and Mars spend at the telescope during the next few months.
— Michael E. Bakich

Filtering the sky
Get the most detail out of your sky views by using color filters. In this how-to, we introduce you to the filters best suited to your favorite planets. — Phil Harrington

Imaging the Red Planet
The great opposition is this month, and you have a brand-new CCD to take wonderful images. But do you have the know-how? One of the world’s great planetary imagers details how you can produce breathtaking images with your CCD. — Don C. Parker

An upgraded classic
The LXD-55 series combines classic looks with cutting-edge computer technology. Find out if this is your next purchase as Astronomy field-tests a new line of Schmidt-Newtonian telescopes from Meade. — Steve Edberg