MARS 2020 ARRIVES AT THE RED PLANET p. 24 FEBRUARY 2021 The world’s best-selling astronomy magazine TOP 10 SPACE STORIES p. 16 OF THE YEAR A BRILLIANT COMET LIGHTS THE WAY THE MILKY WAY DOES THE WAVE BETELGEUSE FAKES AN EXPLOSION www.Astronomy.com A NEW SUN TELESCOPE TAKES FLIGHT V BONUS o FIRST MIDSIZED BLACK HOLES DETECTED l . 4 9 ONLINE • I s GALAXIES SHED LIGHT ON DARK AGES s u CONTENT e CREW DRAGON GIVES ASTRONAUTS A RIDE 2 CODE p. 4 EXCLUSIVELY FROM ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE ASSEMBLE A TURBULENT 500 COSMIC PINNACLE PIECES WITH MYSTIC MOUNTAIN PUZZLE! Assemble a piece of the Carina Nebula with this all-new 500-piece jigsaw puzzle from Astronomy magazine and well-known puzzle maker MasterPieces. 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Gravity is best understood when constrained by the rigor of math. CP5 Connectivity: GTO Thus this equation tells us that the strength of gravity is diluted by the nucleons of the entire Universe. That, www.astro-physics.com the space-energy condensed to make Machesney Park, IL USA the nucleons determines gravity. Ph: 815-282-1513 ScopeBuggy The best $299 • For use with most tripods, DOBs and piers eyepiece you’ll • 10” Pneumatic tires for soft ride • Load tested to 600+ pounds ever buy. • Assemble & disassemble in minutes • Adjustable rear axle height (1½” to 7”) No computer required. Battery- • Ideal for scopes up to 36” • One person can quickly powered 7” color monitor included. and easily move #1 any sized scope Still $345.00* Plus S&H Approx. $60 Shipping USA *Subject to change M16 Eagle Nebula 8” Celestron Evolution Metropolitan Skies REVOLUTION IMAGER Patent Pending RevolutionImager.com SCOPEBUGGY P.O. BOX 834 High Point Scientific Elephant Butte, NM 915-443-9010 Agena AstroProducts 87935 Oceanside Photo & Telescope Woodland Hills Telescope Skies Unlimited www.ScopeBuggy.com Orange County Telescope WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 3 Online Content Code: ASY2102 Enter this code at: www.astronomy.com/code FEBRUARY 2021 to gain access to web-exclusive content VOL. 49, NO. 2 ON THE COVER Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE CONTENTS stormed into our skies in July and 24 put on a spectacular — though relatively brief — show. JOSE CHAMBO FEATURES COLUMNS 16 COVER STORY 34 48 Strange Universe 14 Top 10 space Star Dome and Studying galaxies BOB BERMAN stories of 2020 Paths of the Planets with amateur images Secret Sky 58 An international fleet of RICHARD TALCOTT; Advances in our STEPHEN JAMES O’MEARA spacecraft set off for Mars, ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROEN KELLY understanding of galaxy Crew Dragon carried formation aren’t just Binocular Universe 59 astronauts to the ISS, and 40 coming from large, PHIL HARRINGTON a global pandemic left Corona light professional telescopes. Observing Basics 60 its mark on astronomy. Missed last DAVID MARTÍNEZ-DELGADO GLENN CHAPLE ALISON KLESMAN AND year’s annular AND R. JAY GABANY JAKE PARKS eclipse? We’ve got you 54 7 24 covered with We review Celestron’s QUANTUM GRAVITY New Mars rover some of the best 60th anniversary C8 Everything you need to begins its mission shots out there. The NexStar Evolution 8HD know about the universe Perseverance is more than just JAY PASACHOFF With StarSense, a limited this month: OSIRIS- Curiosity’s double — it will edition telescope, combines REx overflows, a look at hunt for ancient life, cache 46 all of Celestron’s fanciest the birthplace of stars, samples, and pave the way for Spend some trappings to produce a superb, a twisted solar system, human explorers. JIM BELL time in Auriga top-of-the-line instrument. and more. With three Messier objects DAVID J. EICHER 32 and loads of other bright Sky This Month targets, the Charioteer has a 62 IN EVERY ISSUE Twilight planets delight. lot to offer. MICHAEL E. BAKICH Ask Astro From the Editor 5 Galactic traffic jam. MARTIN RATCLIFFE AND Astro Letters 6 ALISTER LING New Products 61 Advertiser Index 61 Reader Gallery 64 Breakthrough 66 ONLINE FAVORITES Astronomy Go to www.Astronomy.com My Science Trips and Sky This Ask Astro (ISSN 0091-6358, USPS 531-350) Shop Tours Week Archives is published monthly by Kalmbach Media for info on the biggest news and Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P. O. Box 1612, Perfect gifts for Travel the world A daily digest Answers to all Waukesha, WI 53187–1612. Periodicals postage observing events, stunning photos, your favorite with the staff of of celestial your cosmic paid at Waukesha, WI, and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to informative videos, and more. science geeks. Astronomy. events. questions. Astronomy, PO Box 8520, Big Sandy, TX 75755. Canada Publication Mail Agreement #40010760. 4 ASTRONOMY • FEBRUARY 2021 FROM THE EDITOR Editor David J. Eicher Design Director LuAnn Williams Belter EDITORIAL A renewal for Senior Editor Mark Zastrow Production Editor Elisa R. Neckar Senior Associate Editor Alison Klesman Associate Editor Jake Parks Associate Editor Caitlyn Buongiorno stargazing Editorial Assistant Hailey McLaughlin ART As I write this in late 2020, the world Contributing Design Directors Kelly Katlaps, Elizabeth M. Weber Illustrator Roen Kelly has been upended by a pandemic for Production Specialist Jodi Jeranek over eight months now. More sig- CONTRIBUTING EDITORS nificant than any health crisis in a century, the Michael E. Bakich, Bob Berman, Adam Block, Glenn F. Chaple Jr., Martin George, Tony Hallas, coronavirus outbreak has changed all our Phil Harrington, Korey Haynes, Jeff Hester, Alister Ling, lives, in some ways perhaps permanently. Stephen James O’Meara, Martin Ratcliffe, Raymond Shubinski, Richard Talcott Despite all the negative aspects of the pan- EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD demic — social distancing away from friends Buzz Aldrin, Marcia Bartusiak, Jim Bell, Timothy Ferris, and family, economic fallout, and, most Alex Filippenko, Adam Frank, John S. Gallagher lll, Daniel W. E. Green, William K. Hartmann, Paul Hodge, importantly, the terrible toll of death and sick- Edward Kolb, Stephen P. Maran, Brian May, S. Alan Stern, ness — there has been one apparent benefit James Trefil from these circumstances. We’ve seen quite a Kalmbach Media surge of astronomy hobbyists and their neigh- Chief Executive Officer Dan Hickey bors, friends, and acquaintances discovering Senior Vice President, Finance Christine Metcalf Senior Vice President, Consumer Marketing Nicole McGuire The Orion and or rediscovering the sky. Horsehead nebulae Vice President, Content Stephen C. George This year has been a good one for observational astronomy, no Vice President, Operations Brian J. Schmidt in the winter Milky Vice President, Human Resources Sarah A. Horner Way are among doubt. We had a beautiful naked-eye comet, C/2020 F3 NEOWISE. Senior Director, Advertising Sales and Events David T. Sherman numerous treasures On the days before and following perihelion, July 3, it shone brighter Advertising Sales Director Scott Redmond rediscovered by Circulation Director Liz Runyon housebound than first magnitude and displayed magnificent ion and dust tails. For Director of Digital Strategy Angela Cotey skywatchers. Northern Hemisphere observers, the comet was visible all night in Director of Design & Production Michael Soliday Retention Manager Kathy Steele TONY HALLAS mid-July, bright enough to get non-astronomers to take notice. Single Copy Specialist Kim Redmond We’ve also had wonderful planetary oppositions this year. Jupiter ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Phone (888) 558-1544 and Saturn reached their brightest, opposite the Sun in the sky, in Ad Production [email protected] the second and third weeks of July. Perched in the southeast beside Dina Johnston, [email protected] Sagittarius, the two planets gleamed brilliantly. And novice skygazers RETAIL TRADE ORDERS AND INQUIRIES Selling Astronomy magazine or products in your store: were impressed that a pair of binoculars with 10x magnification could Phone (800) 558-1544 reveal the Galilean moons of Jupiter astride the big planet’s disk. The Outside U.S. and Canada (262) 796-8776, ext. 818 Fax (262) 798-6592 array of planets continued when Mars reached opposition in mid- Email [email protected] October, displaying some of its amazing features for observers and Website www.Retailers.Kalmbach.com astroimagers. CUSTOMER SALES AND SERVICE Phone (877) 246-4835 The joy that we’ve seen in people observing the sky, some for many Outside U.S. and Canada (903) 636-1125 years and some for the first time, has never been stronger. I hope that Customer Service [email protected] when the pandemic is resolved, we’ll not forget our rediscovery of CONTACT US Ad Sales [email protected] this love affair. There is so much out there for us to see, to capture our Ask Astro [email protected] Books [email protected] minds and our imaginations, and to give us amazing perspective on Letters [email protected] the challenges we face on our little blue planet. Products [email protected] Reader Gallery [email protected] Editorial Phone (262) 796-8776 Yours truly, For reprints, licensing, and permissions: PARS International at www.parsintl.com Copyright © 2021 Kalmbach Media Co., all rights reserved.