Astronomy July 2012

How humans will travel to Alpha Centauri
By Bill Andrews
Long thought to be the province of science fiction, interstellar flight might not be as impossible as you think.
pg. 22

Tour our wet solar system
By Michael Carroll
Life-giving water covers seven-tenths of Earth's surface, but where did it come from, and where else can we find it?
pg. 28

Dark energy's new face
By Steve Nadis
How are exploding stars changing our view of the universe's mysterious force?
pg. 44

How to collect rocks from space
By Mike Reynolds
Start a meteorite collection and soon you'll be holding a piece of solar system history in the palm of your hand.
pg. 52

13 great summer binocular sights
By Phil Harrington
Grab your binoculars and explore the False Comet, Barnard's E, and 11 more stellar targets.
pg. 56

All about the Bubble Nebula
By Raymond Shubinski
Check out this emission nebula in Cassiopeia to see the results of a massive star's hurricane-force winds.
pg. 58

"Astronomy" tests Orion's grab-and-go refractor
By Steve Edberg
The ED102T CF Triplet offers 4 inches of aperture, a wide field of view, and superb star images.
pg. 62