Sky & Telescope October 2022 Magazine
In the October 2022 issue of Sky & Telescope, we present three astronomical mysteries. First, astronomers have discovered an assortment of gas giants too close to their stars for comfort — and they want to know how these hot Jupiters ended up hugging their stars. In a puzzle closer to home, if you had told someone 150 years ago that Jupiter's moons were icy, they probably would have waved you off with a chuckle. So our authors are asking the question: Why did it take astronomers so long to figure this out? Our final mystery in this issue centers on Mars and an expedition undertaken by several of our editors and authors, members of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, and a NASA scientist. After amateur and professional astronomers first reported flares of light on Mars, planetary observers predicted when they might appear next. Turns out, even though most of the U.S. was under clouds, the pro-am expedition not only saw the flares but recorded them for future study. Our next chance to see them? This December.
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