Astronomy January 2009

Top 10 stories of 2008
Astronomers saw the first moments of a star's death, the Phoenix Lander tasted martian water, exoplanet hunters discovered a mini version of our solar system, and more.
By Daniel Pendick

Is our galaxy running out of gas?
New results from the Spitzer Space Telescope suggest the Milky Way is creating so many stars that it may run out of gas in a billion years.
By Bruce Dorminey

How Johannes Kepler revolutionized astronomy
This 17th-century German astronomer explained planetary orbits, discovered light's
inverse-square law, and wrote the first modern book on optics.
By Daniel Hudon
Explore the sky's spooky reflection nebulae
You'll need a big scope and a dark sky to explore the van den Bergh catalog's challenging objects.
By Thomas V. Davis
The van den Bergh catalog
Download a list of the 158 reflection nebulae that Sidney van den Bergh catalogued.
By Michael E. Bakich
Find your way through the winter sky
The crisp, clear skies of winter beckon beginning observers.
By Michael E. Bakich
Orion's StarBlast 6 makes a great first scope
This grab-and-go telescope offers 6 inches of light-gathering in a compact design.
By Glenn Chaple