Astronomy July 2006

Cassini unveils Saturn
Nearly 2 years into its extraordinary mission, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft reveals the ringed planet’s secrets. ALFRED S. MCEWEN

Where is the universe heading?
To find out how it all ends, scientists need to understand what makes up the universe. JAMES TREFIL

Witness to cosmic collisions
NASA’s Swift mission has helped astronomers solve the 35-year-old mystery of what causes short gamma-ray bursts. ROBERT ZIMMERMAN

Spiders from Mars
Dark, branching patterns on Mars’ south pole link the planet’s climate to its most prominent landforms. FRANCIS REDDY

Discover great nebulae in Cygnus
Glowing gas and dark dust mingle in spectacular ways among the Swan’s star clouds. STEVE COE

A southern-sky Messier Catalog
From south of the equator, you can observer 152 Bennett objects as impressive as the best in the north. MICHAEL E. BAKICH

Solar eclipse trips
Astronomy editors view the Sun’s corona from two Mediterranean locations. MICHAEL E. BAKICH, DAVID J. EICHER, AND RICH TALCOTT

Designed to shoot the sky
Canon’s EOS 20Da camera sets a new standard for astrophotography. JACK NEWTON