Astronomy August 2009

How we'll return to the Moon
Four decades after the first human landing, we stand on the threshold of a second grand adventure.
By James Oberg

NASA has developed detailed plans for sending humans back to our nearest celestial neighbor.
By Richard Talcott
Next step Mars?
Landing humans on the Red Planet is harder and more dangerous than you might think, but it can be done. Here's how.
By Daniel Pendick

The effects of long-term exposure to space radiation and low gravity are still uncertain.
By Daniel Pendick

The return to the Moon could be a useful steppingstone to Mars - or a costly and unnecessary delay.
By Daniel Pendick
What Europe's Moon mission revealed
Lead Project Scientist Bernard H. Foing explains how SMART-1 served as a steppingstone for future solar system exploration.
By Bernard H. Foing
Asia's new assault on the Moon
First-ever lunar missions from Japan and China returned valuable data and laid the foundation for more ambitious exploration.
By Michael E. Bakich

To get more bang for our buck, the space agency launches two missions at once.
By Michael E. Bakich
Who was the real Charles Messier?
His catalog of deep-sky objects may be world famous, but most people don't know much about the man behind it.
By Ronald Stoyan
Orion's truss-tube scope offers power and portability
With the help of the SkyQuest XX12 reflector, finding faint deep-sky treats just got easier.
By Phil Harrington