Well, it’s still a planet of sorts. Since 2006 Pluto has been classified by the International Astronomical Union as a ‘dwarf planet’. In recent decades, powerful telescopes have enabled astronomers to discover several Pluto-sized objects beyond Neptune’s orbit, and there are probably lots more out there. So, either they had to expand the list of planets (which would mean you’d have to remember a lot more for your science exams) or it was time to come up with an official definition of
what counts as a planet.
After some fierce debate, the international committee agreed a condition that a planet must be the biggest thing in its orbital neighbourhood. Pluto and the newly found similar objects are all in the same neighbourhood, so that rules them out. However, the defi nition of ‘planet’ is controversial, so the ‘Save Pluto’ campaigners hope it will be re-instated one day.

On board an aircraft carrier

Our article on how to take off and land on an aircraft carrier back in issue 5 was so popular we’ve gone a step further to bring you an insight to life on board the magnificent Nimitz Class carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Discover what happens on this floating island – from the nuclear power at its heart to the aircraft stowed in the hangars and on the flightdeck.

Titan – the wonder of Saturn’s largest moon revealed

We take a look at the fascinating Titan and learn about the unusual activity that takes place on and below the surface of this, the most Earth-like of all the bodies in our solar system. A real eye-opener, this article explains the mystical methane rain that falls slowly through Titan’s dense atmosphere.

iPhone 4

Our cover feature comes complete with all you need to know about Apple’s latest smartphone. Read on to discover just what this anticipated update is capable of and follow our step-by-step guide to making your first FaceTime video call. We explain iOS4, the three-axis gyroscope and the A4 chip plus much more. And of course, all the gory insides are dissected for your viewing pleasure.

Cleaning up an oil spill

The headline-dominating disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has captured the attention of the world, and the grave situation has affected both the environment and the economy. Discover what is being done to seal the leak and clean up the mess in this feature that explores the techniques for ridding the world’s oceans of slicked oil.

Megastructures

Your jaw will drop when you consider the mammoth feats of engineering behind Earth’s biggest man-made structures. Learn how the longest bridge in the world was constructed, find out how the longest ever road tunnel beat the world record by seven kilometers, discover the pendulum swinging at the heart of the famous Taipai 101 skyscraper, plus loads more unbelievable megastructure facts.

King of the swingers

This bumper guide to our closest relatives reveals the lives and anatomy of the highly specialised and highly intelligent primates. See what happens when a group of chimps gives chase, learn about their amazing gripping hands and prehensile tails, and find out what is putting these incredible creatures at risk.

PLUS: today’s cutting-edge car technology, hangovers, baggage handling, adrenaline, in-flight refuelling, air bags, Facebook’s new privacy settings, blood vessels, the T-34 tank, mammoths, ion engines, dry cleaning, the Mars 500 mission, the Mavizen TTX02 electric superbike, air conditioning, IMAX cinemas, power drills, tree rings, starfish anatomy, the history of duelling, amphibian skin, beehives, Leyden jars, heatwaves, and much more besides.

Look out for How It Works issue 10 when it hits the shops 15 July – earlier if you’re a subscriber. And don’t forget, if you can’t get to the shops, you can also download the awesome PixelMag on your shiny new iPad, or your old iPhone or iPod touch. Just visit the Apple App Store and search for How It Works, then download any issue for just £1.79. Check it out today!

The European Space Agency’s GOCE satellite (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) has just imaged the Earth’s gravity in HD. The colourful map, as can be seen above, traces the subtle but all pervasive influence the pull of gravity has across the globe and is referred to as a ‘geoid’ – a map which defines where the hypothetical level surface is on Earth. Scientists say the gathered data has numerous applications, specifically in climate studies as the geoid can help highlight how the massive mass of ocean water is moving heat around the planet.

Europe is currently at the forefront of space-based Earth Observation and is in the middle of a huge programme involving the launch of over 20 missions worth an estimated 8 billion euros.

Don’t miss issue 9, which is packed full of articles to really feed your brain. Kicking off is an exhilarating four-pager on roller coasters and the science of thrills, and if you’re trying to decide between iPhone and Android, we’ve put them head to head in a useful buyer’s guide centred on how they work. Another close-to-home feature looks at superfast broadband and how new technology is capable of providing faster, more efficient internet services. An excellent feature on the nervous system reveals what keeps our bodies functioning and communicating properly, but if that doesn’t get your synapses firing we have another biology article that explains what heart bypass surgery entails. A mighty four-page article explaining the nature of explosives will keep you hooked while a hot and steamy spread on geysers will enlighten you on these spectacular geological features. Never get caught short during an avalanche as we explain what they are and how to survive them. If you want to learn how the most deadly chopper in the world works, check out our teardown of the Apache Longbow. Meanwhile, for information on the engineers attempting to break the land speed record take a look at our article on the race to 1,000mph. In space, we have a complete guide to Mercury, a look inside Jupiter’s moon Io, details about the Cassini-Huygens mission and how that’s working, plus a huge feature exploring our search for new Earth-like planets in the galaxy. Discover how the Greeks took to the seas and did battle in huge warships called Triremes, find out why the Tower of Pisa leans and how the west was won in our Wild West weapons article as well as a look at how the Battle of Britain was fought.

We also answer questions such as why can crocodiles snap their mouths so powerfully but not open them with the same force, how does bulletproof glass work, how do placebos work, what are allergies, how do hummingbirds beat their wings up to 80 times a second, how is it possible to rain frogs, how do volcanoes work, what is a Wankel engine, and what are solar flares?

So don’t miss out, get your copy of How It Works issue 9, available in all good newsagents and supermarkets. And if you want to enjoy the magazine on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, simply visit the Apple App Store and search for How It Works, then download it for just £1.79. Check it out today!

Superfast broadband

So, we all rely on broadband for our insatiable internet habits, and as with many things in life, we’re also demanding a faster, more efficient service. In this month’s cover feature you’ll learn how broadband speeds are being maximised. You can also find out what superfast broadband can be used for, and with the help of some very snazzy infographics discover the cities currently enjoying the fastest services around the world.

Human nervous system

Another electrifying human science article this issue comes in the form of a complete guide to the human nervous system. The feature reveals the nature of our bodies’ built-in autopilot functions, as well as the anatomy of a nerve and the reason behind why our arm tingles if we knock our funny bone.

Volcanic eruptions

Thousands of air passengers around the world were left stranded or unable to travel due to the ash from an Icelandic volcano. Discover the amazing geography of these sleeping geological giants in our massive volcanoes feature.

The world’s deadliest chopper

Take a look inside the AH-64D Apache Longbow, the next generation of multi-mission attack helicopter that’s changing the face of modern warfare. We dissect the vehicle and explain its components in true How It Works style.

The race to 1,000mph

Three teams of world-class engineers from different corners of the globe – Great Britain, the United States and Australia – are all trying to smash the 1,000mph barrier and break the land speed record with their superfast rocket cars. We get under the hood of each vehicle and discover exactly how they will achieve their high-speed dreams.

Searching for new Earths

Focusing far beyond the solar system, this space special takes a look at how we’re searching for Earth-like planets capable of supporting human life. Discover the incredible techniques space agencies are employing to find extrasolar bodies, as well as info on where we’re focusing our search, not to mention the exciting results of recent missions.

There’s oodles more great stuff to discover this issue, including how the Battle of Britain was fought, why hummingbirds can beat their wings so quickly, the causes allergies, how a heart bypass could save your life, what a spark plug does exactly, an explanation of solar flares, why the Tower of Pisa leans, the difference between fog, mist and haze, what’s inside a worm, the reason crocodiles can snap their jaws shut with great power but can’t open them with the same force, causes of avalanches, a complete guide to the planet Mercury, inside a Greek warship and so much more great stuff that we simply can’t be bothered to list.

Look out for How It Works issue 9 when it hits the shops this Thursday, 17 June – earlier if you’re a subscriber. And don’t forget, if you can’t get to the shops, you can also download the awesome PixelMag on your shiny new iPad, or your old iPhone or iPod Touch. Just visit the Apple App Store and search for How It Works, then download any issue for just £1.79. Check it out today!

From the performance-enhancing technology of the World Cup to the most unashamed luxury available on the planet’s most expensive mega yachts, this issue will keep you distracted long after you were supposed to get back to work. But don’t feel guilty; read on and feed your brain with fascinating facts on the wonder of twins, exploring below the surface of the oceans, creating the real Iron Man and the technologies capable of augmenting human abilities, surviving Mount Everest, how the Dyson bladeless fan works, the projects of the European Space Agency, Petra the city built into the rock, the first commercial jet pack, and much more. You can also get to know Simon Reeve in this month’s Global Eye interview. His Tropic Of Cancer TV series has been wowing audiences as he embraces some of the planet’s least-visited locations, mixing spectacular travel destinations with eye-opening current affairs.

An issue not to be missed.

So don’t miss out, get your copy of How It Works issue 8, available in all good newsagents and supermarkets. And if you want to enjoy the magazine on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, simply visit the Apple App Store and search for How It Works, then download it for just £1.79. Check it out today!

After 25 years of service, NASA’s Atlantis space shuttle is currently on its last mission, a 12-day operation to deliver a Russian docking and storage module.

The space shuttle system is scheduled to be retired from service in 2010 after a total of 134 launches. Over its operational lifespan its missions have included launching numerous satellites and interplanetary probes, conducting space science experiments, and the servicing and construction of space stations.

First up is this month’s rather swanky cover feature: Mega Yachts. You won’t believe the high technology and advanced design of these masters of the seas. In this four-page extravaganza we look at the biggest and best the yachting industry has to offer, and we even knocked up a little brainstorm of what our ideal mega yacht might look like – just for fun like.

To keep you bang up to date with the greatest technology in the world, we thought you might enjoy this in-depth look at the World Cup and the amazing new tech behind this, the grandest of football tournaments. Discover everything you need to know about the stadium, its security, the seating, the pitch, even the kits and boots and the high-end materials used.

For all you star gazers out there this lovely infographic in the Space section reveals the various types of star out there. If you don’t know your brown dwarfs from your hypernovae you should check this out.

Intrepid fans of the most spectacular landscapes Earth has to offer will enjoy soaking up every word of this guide to surviving the world’s tallest  mountain: Everest (or Chomolungma as it’s known in Tibet). From the camps to the training and the risks, this feature will give you a clear idea of what to expect of this mammoth human challenge.

The ultimate in personal flight, the Martin Jetpack is the world’s first commercial personal flying machine. Before you get your chequebook out, however, take a look at this article that explains exactly how it gets off the ground. We even managed to grab a few minutes with the engineers and designers.

One of life’s little miracles, the wonder of twins and multiple births is always a talking point. This great science feature explains just why this quite unbelievable medical phenomena occurs. We also slotted in a few fascinating facts – it’s uncanny, it really is!

Making the real Iron Man is the subject of this next science feature. From the most incredible developments in synthetic organ augmentation to some of the most advanced exoskeletal machines assisting humans in their daily work, this feature reveals how science can enhance our abilities and make us almost superhuman.

Issue 8 is of course rammed with loads more essential features for you to get your face into. Some of the highlights include a huge feature about exploring beneath the waves, the science behind why the volcanic ash cloud grounded hundreds of flights in Europe, the Nexus One smartphone from Google, a complete guide to the European Space Agency, Uranus explained, Dyson’s amazing bladeless fan, electric cigarettes, toasters, the Taj Mahal, the Coriolis effect, moles (the skin kind), mirrors, sunburn, crash-test dummies, G-force, the seasons, bird migration, hot-air balloons, afterburners, why feet smell, pinball tables, Sky Player, windmills, and the city of Petra. There’s loads more, but we’ll let you discover it for yourself when you pick the mag up on Thursday 20 May – or even earlier if you’re a subscriber!

The physicists running the mission – which is a joint venture between NASA and the ESA – hope that in doing so they will be able to prove or disprove the existence of gravitational waves, a phenomenon predicted in Einstein’s famous theory.

The lazer beams will be fired between the spacecraft, each of which is carrying floating cubes of gold platinum, to measure minute changes in the distance between each of the cubes. These differences are postulated to be caused by the weak waves of gravity that ripple out from catastrophic events in deep space, such as the collapse of stars.

It is these waves that will hold the key to proving or debunking the theory, as Einstein predicted that when large objects such as black holes collide, ripples in space and time flow outwards forming gravitational waves.

Professor Jim Hough, an expert on gravitational waves at Glasgow University, said:

“Gravitational waves are the last piece of Einstein’s theory of general relativity that has still to be proved correct. They are produced when massive objects like black holes or collapsed stars accelerate through space.

“Unfortunately we haven’t been able to detect them yet because they are very weak. However, the new experiments we are working on have great potential to allow detection.”

This is the fantastic new footage released by NASA today from its Solar Dynamics Observatory, the most advanced satellite ever created to study the Sun. The video shows the Sun in an unprecedented level of clarity and even shows a massive eruption of material bursting out from its surface.

Richard Fisher, director of the heliophysics division at NASA, said, “SDO will change our understanding of the Sun and its processes, which affect our lives and society. This mission will have a huge impact on science, similar to the impact of the Hubble Space Telescope on modern astrophysics.”

To learn more about the SDO and its Sun mission, check out its official website at: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov