Sky & Telescope - February 2021 - 2

CONTENTS

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO ASTRONOMY

February 2021

VOL. 141, NO. 2

FEATURES

12 The Story of T Tauri
An infant star in Taurus helped
reveal a truth once thought radical:
The universe still makes new stars.
By Ken Croswell

Hone your imaging techniques on
these fascinating beauties.
By Ronald Brecher

26 Orion's Club District
Going off the beaten track in Orion
brings pleasant surprises.
By Ken Hewitt-White

Cover Story:
36 Magic Nights on
Mount Locke
McDonald Observatory in Texas is a
mecca for research astronomers . . .
and for lucky amateurs.
By John Sealander

60 Double Bubble Toil
Astronomers may be closing in on
the culprit behind the structure that
sprouts from our galaxy's center.
Camille M. Carlisle

18
OBSERVING
41 February's Sky at a Glance
By Diana Hannikainen
42

COLUMNS / DEPARTMENTS
43 Binocular Highlight
By Mathew Wedel
44 Planetary Almanac

Spectrum
By Peter Tyson

From Our Readers

75, 50 & 25 Years Ago
By Roger W. Sinnott

46 Sun, Moon & Planets
By Gary Seronik

News Notes

Celestial Calendar
By Bob King

52 Exploring the Solar System
By Charles Wood

Book Review
By Katherine Breen Crohan

70 New Product Showcase
72 Astronomer's Workbench
By Jerry Oltion
74 Gallery
84 Focal Point
By Joe Barry

ONLINE

TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
New to astronomy? Find advice, free
resources, and ways to grow your
interest into a lifelong passion.
skyandtelescope.org/letsgo

PHOTO: E TH A N T WEEDIE
PHOTOG R A PH Y

45 Evenings with the Stars
By Fred Schaaf

57 Going Deep
By Dave Tosteson

The dome of the
2.1-meter Otto Struve
Telescope

32 Sky-Watcher's Evostar 150
APO Refractor
By Dennis di Cicco

Lunar Almanac & Sky Chart

54 First Exposure
By Sean Walker

ON THE COVER

S&T TEST REPORT

IMAGING FOUNDATIONS
Want to break into astrophotography? Learn the fundamentals with
Richard Wright, Jr.
skyandtelescope.org/
astrophotography

MONTHLY SKY PODCAST
Listen as we guide you through this
month's celestial sights. Great for
those learning how to navigate the
night sky!
skyandtelescope.org/podcasts

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RONALD BRECHER

18 Catching Celestial
Butterﬂies

http://www.skyandtelescope.org/letsgo http://www.skyandtelescope.org/astrophotography http://www.skyandtelescope.org/podcasts http://www.skyandtelescope.org http://www.shopatsky.com

Sky & Telescope - February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - February 2021