18 COVER STORY
How we’ll find life in the universe
Is there life out there?
Researchers are pursuing three paths to find out.
ROBERT NAEYE
28
What does Titan smell like?
A bouquet of musky sweetness, bitter almonds, gasoline, and decomposing fish would likely fill the air on Saturn’s largest satellite.
MORGAN L. CABLE
36
Sky This Month
Catch the outer planets.
MARTIN RATCLIFFE
AND ALISTER LING
38
Star Dome and
Paths of the Planets
RICHARD TALCOTT;
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROEN KELLY
44
The great asterism hunt
You can find lots of unofficial
star patterns using binoculars,
a telescope, or just your eyes.
MICHAEL E. BAKICH
50
A shadow crosses
South America
With a bit of planning, you can
witness this year’s total solar
eclipse. MICHAEL E. BAKICH
54
Deep-sky observing
from Costa Rica
Some of the greatest
splendors of the cosmos lie
in the Southern Hemisphere.
DAVID J. EICHER
60
We test Chroma filters
With perfectly applied and highly tuned coatings, Chroma’s series of parfocal filters offer top-notch quality for a reasonable price.
TONY HALLAS
68
Ask Astro
Messages from the farside.