Used by permission

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 * * * SKY & TELESCOPE's WEEKLY NEWS BULLETIN - December 3, 2004 * * *

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Welcome to S&T's Weekly News Bulletin. Images, the full text of stories
abridged here, and other enhancements are available on our Web site,
SkyandTelescope.com, at the URLs provided below. (If the links don't work,
just manually type the URLs into your Web browser.) Clear skies!

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'TIS THE SEASON TO DETECT EXOPLANETS

This holiday season, advanced amateur astronomers can present the
astronomical community with an extraordinary gift: the detection of a new
transiting exoplanet.

Since 2000, amateur astronomers have used CCD photometry to detect planets
transiting other stars. But so far, professionals have discovered all six
known transiting exoplanets. This time will be different. We are
recruiting amateurs to discover rather than confirm a new transit....

> http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1400_1.asp

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BUSH FIRES THREATEN "THE DISH"

Over the past several days, bush fires raged within 1 kilometer (0.6 mile)
of the 64-meter Parkes radio telescope, located in New South Wales,
Australia. Besides making innumerable contributions to science, and
receiving footage from the Apollo moonwalkers, Parkes Observatory was
featured in the 2001 critically acclaimed movie "The Dish" starring Sam
Neill. Fortunately, the telescope sustained no damage, and the winds have
shifted away from the facility, so it is no longer in danger. Still, the
fire forced the evacuation of most of the observatory's staff....

> http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1397_1.asp

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SURREAL SATURN PORTRAIT

As Cassini recedes from Saturn after completing its first orbit, the
spacecraft's narrow-angle camera is returning mesmerizing images of the
planet, rings, and moons. A new image showcases curving shadows cast by
the rings on Saturn's northern hemisphere....

> http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1395_1.asp

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS WEEK'S SKY

* The Moon occults (covers) Jupiter early Tuesday morning, December 7th,
for eastern and central North America.
* Last-quarter Moon on Saturday, December 4th.
* The Geminid meteor should peak on the night of December 13-14.

For more details, see This Week's Sky at a Glance and Planet Roundup:

> http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/ataglance/

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HOLIDAY SHOPPING (Advertisement)

Get your holiday shopping done early with these new products from Shop at
Sky.

Video Astronomy, Revised Edition
By Steve Massey, Thomas A. Dobbins, and Eric J. Douglass
> http://SkyandTelescope.com/campaigns.asp?id=405

Atlas of the Moon, Revised, Updated Edition
By Antonin Rukl
> http://SkyandTelescope.com/campaigns.asp?id=406

Sky Publishing Gift Certificates
> http://SkyandTelescope.com/campaigns.asp?id=175

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Copyright 2004 Sky Publishing Corp. S&T's Weekly News Bulletin is provided
as a free service to the astronomical community by the editors of SKY &
TELESCOPE magazine. Widespread electronic distribution is encouraged as
long as our copyright notice is included, along with the words "used by
permission." But this bulletin may not be published in any other form
without written permission from Sky Publishing; send e-mail to
permissions{at}SkyandTelescope.com or call +1 617-864-7360. More astronomy
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