Opening up the rest of the universe

What is is one of the best ways to find out about the rest of the universe? From our solar system all the way to the edge of the known universe, new discoveries are being made every day. Astronomy Magazine covers that 99+ percent of the physical universe with beautiful color pictures and lively, interesting articles.

You do not have to be a professional astronomer to benefit from the high-tech revolution in astronomy, or to enjoy Astronomy Magazine. The magazine is packed with ads for wonderful new telescopes and other equipment in price ranges that may be accessible to ordinary folks. Articles on amateur astronomy further serve the magazine's main audience, and the detailed "Sky Show" section presents a full selection of amateur-viewable targets for each month, although the target selections and star-map are biased for northern hemisphere viewing.

But the really exciting news comes from the fabulous, modern jumbo telescopes. The Hubble Space Telescope and its new Earthbound sisters with their computer-controlled adaptive optics mirrors are opening up the universe like never before. New techniques make it possible to detect planets around distant stars, peer into the centers of remote galaxies, and penetrate clouds of dust and gas to reveal stars just being born. Now, we can see the universe not only in visible light but also in x-rays, gamma rays, infrared, radio waves and microwaves. All of these new developments are presented, with impressive pictures and interesting, readable text.

Also in each issue are product and book reviews, and "Ask Astro," in which reader questions are answered by experts. At the end is "Hot Shots," where the best reader photos are published, showing the tremendous vitality and creativity of the amateur astronomy community.

There are other astronomy magazines with beautiful pictures, but in my view the magazine that best serves the huge, active amateur astronomy community is Astronomy Magazine.