Welcome
We're returning to Pluto – and this time we're looking to stay. That's the latest news from NASA as it looks to develop the very first spacecraft that's set to park itself into a loop around the dwarf planet, sometime beyond the 2020s.
It comes after the success of New Horizons, which hurtled past Pluto at a speed of 58,500 kilometres (36,400 miles) per hour while busily snapping away, revealing one side of the dwarf planet like never before.
On 14 July 2015 the astronomical community truly had the dwarf planet in its crosshairs. We're now intent on a return that'll make its terrain as familiar as that of Mars, the only other planet in the Solar System – bar Earth – that's swarming with spacecraft. Of course, we know how to get to Pluto – but what'll be involved in swinging into orbit? New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern reveals a lot of propellant is needed to afford us the opportunity to study the planet's moons, atmosphere, solar wind interactions and other aspects of the planetary system up close. Turn to page 16 for a full overview of the Pluto Orbiter.
We're well into the darker evenings, with many of us dusting off our telescopes to spend the majority of our waking hours under the stars. From astronomer Stuart Atkinson's planet, moon, naked-eye and deepsky tours to Mark Thompson's advice on solving your kit woes, we've got everything you need to make the most of your hobby.