In the January 2012 Sky & Telescope

Messier’s 18th-century list of comets-that-weren’t started off with a bang. Literally. In this issue's Binocular Highlights column, I look at the list’s lone supernova remnant, M1, in Taurus.

Rich-field telescopes (RFTs) provide some of the most breathtaking views of the night sky — especially if your favorite pastime is soaking up starlight while cruising the Milky Way. In this month's Telescope Workshop column I profile the fantastic 13-inch RFT built by veteran ATM, Mel Bartels. Mel’s scope combines super-fast optics with the latest, greatest eyepieces to redefine the RFT concept.