Humanity's understanding of astronomy has changed profoundly during the past 70 years. Now, scientists, journalists, and astronomy enthusiasts can quickly and easily follow the course of astronomical discovery and space exploration by using the new DVD digital archive containing every printed page of Sky and Telescope magazine from the premier issue in November 1941 through the December 2009 issue.

"The Complete Sky and Telescope: Seven Decade Collection" consists of 10 DVD-ROMs, one each for the first four decades, and two DVDs each for the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

A bonus CD-ROM provides a fully searchable index for the entire archive. Users can also easily search for specific articles or references within a given decade by a smaller index on that decade's DVD.

"We have been thinking about this DVD box set for years, and we're thrilled that it has become a reality," says Sky and Telescope editor in chief Robert Naeye.

"This digital archive will be an invaluable resource not only for professional and amateur astronomers, but also for journalists, historians, and teachers."

The DVD archive contains 818 monthly issues of Sky and Telescope, consisting of 69,792 pages. The archive is both PC and Mac compatible. The archive is easy to use; a single mouse click flips a page like a real magazine.

The pages also have zoom and scroll functions. The archive's pages can be easily printed, and color photos and illustrations appear in their full glory. The archive includes all advertisements (most of which are searchable), making it easy to follow trends in the telescope industry.

"The back issues of Sky and Telescope offer a real-time history of 20th-century astronomy and space exploration. There are thousands of timeless pages devoted to making and using telescopes, and thousands more on observing," says S and T senior editor Dennis di Cicco, who has worked at the magazine since 1974.

"Pick any topic of interest to amateur astronomers, and you'll likely find more pages about it in the S and T archive than in any book!"

"This is a virtual universe of knowledge and a permanent archive to fuel your passion for astronomy and space flight," says Naeye.