Sky & Telescope - August 2022 - 4

SPECTRUM by Peter Tyson
For the Record
SKY & TELESCOPE HAS ALWAYS held a lofty aspiration: to be the
magazine of record for amateur astronomy. I realize that might
sound boastful, to claim such elevated ground for ourselves, but I
consider it a provocation. To deem S&T a magazine of record, even
solely for our modestly sized community of hobbyists, is to bare
ourselves to perpetual scrutiny, to be held accountable for our errors, and to
unfailingly adhere to a high standard of excellence.
What does it mean to be a magazine of record? Google won't help you here.
Searching the term will bring up music-industry publications as well as issues
with " record " in their title, such as Architectural Record. But " newspaper of
record, " a term that arose a century ago in reference to The New York Times,
came to mean a paper scrupulous about accuracy and verifiable reporting, as
well as one serving as an archival chronicle of major
events of the day. In today's heterogeneous world, it
might be hard for any newspaper to make that claim.
But niche publications such as ours arguably still can.
A key aspect of holding to that high-minded benchpFrom
our first issue in
1941 to today, S&T has
prided itself on being the
magazine of record for
amateur astronomers.
mark is setting the record straight. Our cover story this
month does that regarding the first confirmable observations
of the " spokes " in Saturn's rings (see page 28). We
often run these kinds of stories. In the past year alone,
we've done pieces on who really discovered stellar proper
motion (contrary to what many sources state); exactly
when a truly useful set of star charts initially appeared;
and who deserves credit for first accurately describing
the gegenschein, that faint " counterglow " sometimes
seen in the night sky opposite the Sun's position.
A corollary to setting the record straight is highlighting individuals and discoveries
that might not have gotten the attention they deserve. Again just in the
past year, we've published a look at the little-known Venus-transit adventure of
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon (of Mason-Dixon Line fame), a cover story
on the groundbreaking contributions of Henrietta Swan Leavitt, and a feature
on how the Mesopotamians pioneered astronomical computing.
Even as we strive to ever be the magazine of record for our community, we
know we can't be comprehensive. We realize we're not the only trusted source
on astronomy out there. And we accept that setting the record straight includes
owning up to our mistakes. We do that in For the Record (see page 7) and in
our online errata pages (see, e.g., https://is.gd/2021errata).
Lastly, we know we can count on you, our astute and
eagle-eyed readers, to help keep us honest. Thank you.
Editor in Chief
Editorial Correspondence
(including permissions, partnerships, and content
licensing): Sky & Telescope, One Alewife Center,
Suite 300B, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA. Phone:
617-500-6793. E-mail: editors@skyandtelescope.
org. Website: skyandtelescope.org. Unsolicited
proposals, manuscripts, photographs, and
electronic images are welcome, but a stamped,
self-addressed envelope must be provided to
guarantee their return; see our guidelines for
contributors at skyandtelescope.org.
4
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AUGUST 2022 * SKY & TELESCOPE
The Essential Guide to Astronomy
Founded in 1941 by Charles A. Federer, Jr.
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EDITORIAL
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Editor in Chief Peter Tyson
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Editorial Assistant Sabrina Garvin
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Sky & Telescope - August 2022

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