Winter 2022 - Volume 51 No. 1
Table of Contents:
[20] Space News
A rundown of some of the most exciting developments in space and time.
[24] From Waiting to Wonder
A much-delayed telescope is finally in space. Now it’s time to reveal a new view of the universe.
[31] Historic Vistas
Artist and astronomer Étienne Léopold Trouvelot captured stunning views of the cosmos using pastels and paper.
[33] The Evolution of Space Science’s Smallest Satellites
How CubeSats evolved from lecture hall tools to crucial scientific instruments.
Departments:
[3] Perspectives, Liz Kruesi
An Observation and Some Spacecraft
[4] First Word, Linda Shore
A Cosmic Perspective
[6] Annals of Astronomy, Clifford J. Cunningham
Adrien Auzout at 400
[8] Armchair Astrophysics, Christopher Wanjek
Will NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory Get a Successor, Too?
[10] Research Focus, James Negus
The Solar System to Scale
[13] Education Matters, Brian Kruse
The Importance of Fostering Curiosity
[15] A Little Learning, C. Renée James and Scott T. Miller
Dysfunction Junction
[38] Reflections, Liz Kruesi
New View of the Galactic Core
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From Waiting to Wonder (Feature)
By Steve Murray
After 25 years of development, including 10 years of launch delays, the James Webb Space Telescope is now on station with its mirror open and its operational checks underway. The Christmas launch of the telescope was a long-awaited gift to science, one that will be opened later in 2022 to yield our deepest views into the cosmos. Astronomers are gearing up for a new era of discovery. “The primary driver [for Webb’s design] was the search for the first stars and galaxies after the Big Bang,” says Eric Smith, the Program Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope Program at NASA Headquarters.
The Evolution of Space Science’s Smallest Satellites (Feature)
By Sarah Wells
CubeSats evolved from lecture hall tools to crucial scientific instruments. These small satellites have brought both great opportunities for education and outreach, as well as scientific exploration. As of early 2022, NASA has launched over 100 CubeSat missions into space and at least 30 missions are slated for launch this year. Hundreds more CubeSats that have launched via other avenues.
Historic Vistas (Feature)
By Liz Kruesi
French-born artist and astronomer Étienne Léopold Trouvelot drew stunning views of astronomical phenomena with pastels. See a sampling of his 15-piece collection of chromolithograph prints, released in 1882 by New York’s Charles Scribner’s Sons publishing house.
