Sky & Telescope's Weekly Bulletin - Feb 1

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Sky & Telescope's Weekly Bulletin - February 1, 2008
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Observing
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A Speedy Asteroid -- Captured!
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January 29, 2008 | It was faint, and it zipped across the sky at 3
deg. per hour -- but 2007 TU24 could be spotted with a good scope if
you knew where and when to look.
Read More at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/obser.../14759652.html

Jupiter Stalks Venus in the Morning Sky
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January 29, 2008 | The sky's two brightest objects (aside from the
Sun and Moon) are rapidly approaching each other in the pre-dawn sky.
Read More at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/commu.../14776596.html


News
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Mercury's "Better Half"
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February 1, 2008 | When it swept by the innermost planet on January
14th, NASA's Messenger spacecraft showed us a side of Mercury never
before seen. After two weeks of intensive study, mission scientists
have shared some of the flyby's intriguing results -- including views
of a "spidery" crater that has them stumped.
Read More at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/15106871.html

A Stardust-Free Comet
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January 28, 2008 | When NASA sent a spacecraft to grab samples of a
comet and return them to Earth, scientists had high hopes that they'd
finally be able to decipher how the solar system formed. Boy, were
they wrong!
Read More at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/.../14564132.html

Ch-ch-changes
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February 1, 2008 | We made some tweaks to our website.
Read More at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/commu.../15104421.html


This Week's Sky at a Glance
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February 1, 2008 | Orion and Sirius shine their highest in the south
during evening. High above them Mars still glares brightly, but it's
retreating into the interplanetary distance. Low in the dawn, bright
Venus and Jupiter remain strikingly close together.
Read More at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/obser.../15072516.html


Equipment
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Affordable Active Optics
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January 11, 2007 | Santa Barbara Instrument Group, pioneer of the
first commercially available active-optics for amateur telescopes, has
developed the AO-8 for their popular ST series of self-guiding USB
cameras.
Read More at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/equip.../14050072.html

Portable Tracking
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January 11, 2007 | Orion Telescopes & Binoculars now offers the
TeleTrack, an ultra-portable mount built for small telescopes and
cameras with telephoto lenses.
Read More at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/equip.../14040927.html

Cloud Control
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January 11, 2007 | Diffraction Limited's new Boltwood Portable Cloud
Sensor enables you to sleep when conditions are astronomically poor,
and then alerts you with an alarm when the skies clear.
Read More at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/equip.../14045362.html


Skywatching Tips and Tricks
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Secrets of Stargazing by Becky Ramotowski
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http://www.shopatsky.com/prodinfo.asp?number=59409


The "Best Of" David Levy!
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Star Trails by David Levy
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http://www.shopatsky.com/prodinfo.asp?number=59461

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Associate Editor http://SkyandTelescope.com
Sky & Telescope Magazine
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