Astronomy December 2006

COVER STORY
Does antimatter matter?
Matter edged out antimatter to make possible the universe we know. But no one yet knows how. RAY JAYAWARDHANA

Zeroing in on martian water
A new orbiter will return more data than all previous missions combined to lead NASA to the Red Planet’s buried water. ALFRED S. MCEWEN

Can we send a spacecraft to the Sun?
NASA’s proposed Solar Probe stretches technology and material science to their torrid limits. DAVID J. MCCOMAS

The Sun's biggest blasts
Coronal mass ejections, our star's largest eruptions, shoot billions of tons of plasma into space. FRANCIS REDDY

All about the Horsehead Nebula
The sky’s most famous dark nebula intrigues amateur imagers and provides astronomers clues to the nature of interstellar space. RAYMOND SHUINSKI

How to make a lunar mosaic
A renowned astroimager shoots the Moon using an inexpensive webcam. ROBERT REEVES

Pluto gets the boot!
An historic vote pushes Pluto aside, but some scientists are crying foul. FRANCIS REDDY

18 must-read books for cloudy nights
Explore the Moon and Mars, investigate gravity, introduce yourself to the stars, and hold the universe in your hands. LIZ KRUESI