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4 February 2011 sky & telescope
FEATURES
22 New Scrutiny of the Sun’s Secrets The Solar Dynamics Observatory is taking continuous, fi ne-scale movies of every layer from the Sun’s surface up. By Monica Bobra
28 The Perfect Solar Superstorm Solar storms in 1859 wreaked havoc on telegraph networks worldwide and produced auroras nearly to the equator. What would a recurrence do to our modern technological world? By Daniel N. Baker & James L. Green
36 Great Winter Double Stars This season is as notable for its doubles, triples, and quadruples as for its nebulae and star clusters. By James Mullaney
66 Solar Radio Astronomy It’s relatively easy to observe the Sun at radio frequencies. By J. Kelly Smith, David L. Smith, & William L. Joyner
72 Catch the Nearest Star The Sun provides astro- photographers with a captivating target every clear day. By Greg Piepol
THIS MONTH’S SK Y
40 Northern Hemisphere’s Sky By Fred Schaaf
43 February’s Sky at a Glance
45 Binocular Highlight By Gary Seronik
46 Planetary Almanac
48 Sun, Moon, and Planets By Fred Schaaf
50 Exploring the Moon By Charles A. Wood
57 Celestial Calendar By Alan MacRobert
60 Deep-Sky Wonders By Sue French
S&T TES T REPORT
52 Celestron’s 14-inch EdgeHD A 21st-century update transforms Celestron’s legendary telescope. By Dennis di Cicco
54 Quick Look: “Double-Stacked” P.S.T. By Sean Walker
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COVERSTORY
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
6 Spectrum By Robert Naeye
8 Letters
10 50 & 25 Years Ago By Leif J. Robinson
14 News Notes
38 New Product Showcase
64 Telescope Workshop By Gary Seronik
76 Gallery
86 Focal Point By Chris Miller
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SKY & TELESCOPE (ISSN 0037-6604) is published monthly by Sky & Telescope Media, LLC, 90 Sherman St., Cambridge, MA 02140-3264, USA. Phone: 800-253-0245 (customer service/subscriptions), 888-253-0230 (product orders), 617-864-7360 (all other calls). Fax: 617-864-6117. Website: SkyandTelescope.com. © 2011 Sky & Telescope Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, Massachusetts, and at additional mailing offi ces. Canada Post Publications Mail sales agreement #40029823. Canadian return address: 2744 Edna St., Windsor, ON, Canada N8Y 1V2. Canadian GST Reg. #R128921855. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sky & Telescope, PO Box 171, Winterset, IA 50273. Printed in the USA.
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On the cover: This not-to-scale composite of 2 SOHO images from diff erent instruments shows a coronal mass ejection blasting outward.
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February 2011VOL. 121, NO. 2
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