We’re on the cusp of an exciting new era of space stations
Chris Bramley, Editor
Twenty-five years ago this month, the first module of the International Space Station was launched. From this small seed, the ISS has grown to be larger than a football field and a lasting beacon of international cooperation. But with the space station reaching the end of its serviceable lifetime, the ISS era is coming to an end. On page 36, Sean Blair looks at what will come next to continue humanity’s presence in space.
A quarter of a century is just two years on Jupiter, which really puts its distance from us (615 million kilometres) in perspective. Even so, in November the Solar System’s biggest planet will be hard to miss! It’s at opposition this month and at its biggest, brightest and highest in the night sky for the year. It’s a stunning object to observe even in modest detail and, as a bonus, you can also catch some fascinating interactions between it and its largest moons. Pete Lawrence has all the details in the Sky Guide from page 43.
The other most prominent detail that a telescope will reveal on Jupiter is its distinctive striped atmosphere. These belts and zones change over short timespans (astronomically speaking) and it will be fascinating to watch for these changes, particularly in the light of Giles Sparrow’s feature on page 60. Here he investigates how astronomers are today able to peer deeper into the planet’s strange interior to reveal what is driving the continual shifts in the cloud tops that make up its visible surface.
Enjoy the issue!
PS Our next issue goes on sale on Thursday 16 November.
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