Astronomy February 2014

Does methane flow on Titan?
by Robert Zimmerman
Scientists are eager to prove that the river valleys and streambeds on Saturn’s largest moon carry liquid methane to its vast lakes.

Searching for smart life around small stars
by Seth Shostak
Researchers have set their sights on red dwarfs in hopes of making a big discovery.

New light on our Sun's fate
by Jason Kalirai
The Sun will lose 46 percent of its mass before becoming a carbon and oxygen cinder in 6.5 billion years. Here’s how astronomers know its destiny.

Comet ISON’s opening act
by Michael E. Bakich
The most anticipated comet in decades got off to a good start.

Where other astrophotographers fear to tread
by Thomas V. Davis
Thomas V. Davis is committed to shedding light on the dusty, dark parts of the universe through his portraits of nebulae.

What are we learning from cosmic dust?
by Meenakshi Wadhwa
Tiny particles in the solar system may answer some of its biggest questions.

Astronomy tests Levenhuk’s new refractor
by Tom Trusock
The Ra R110 ED Doublet OTA offers high-quality optics, good portability, and nice styling — all at a great price.

Explore the Trumpler classes of clusters
by Michael E. Bakich
Since 1930, astronomers have divided the thousands of open clusters into 36 types. Find out what makes them different.