Astronomy May 2007

COVER STORY
Cosmology: 5 things you need to know
Troubled by Hubble's law? Perplexed by the Big Bang? Tune up your cosmic knowledge with answers to cosmology's big questions. LIZ KRUESI

How to make 20 million galaxies
Astronomers transformed 25 terabytes of data into virtual galaxies to investigate cosmic evolution. STEVE NADIS

Seeing the red limit
Here's everything you need to understand how astronomers measure cosmic distances. SCOTT DODELSON

The Great Comet of 2007
Observers around the world got spectacular views of Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) - the brightest comet in 42 years. RICHARD TALCOTT

Reflections on two comets
Comet McNaught's multi-spiked tail bore a striking resemblance to that of 1744's great comet. GEOFF CHESTER

All about the Hercules Cluster
Globular clusters like M13 helped astronomers refine our galaxy''s structure. RAYMOND SHUBINSKI

How to avoid the astronomy blues
Many telescope buyers become discouraged after a short time. Here's how I evaded that trap. MARK M. MARCOTTE

Deep-sky-object hunter
Meade's LightBridge will help you see faint details in distant targets. MARK M. MARCOTTE