Uncovering Alcor's Secret
by Neil Zimmerman

I'm fortunate enough to be part of a research team that is pushing the limits
of high contrast imaging, a new area of astronomy. Combining cutting edge
optical tools with the venerable 200" Palomar telescope, we're probing the
neighborhoods of nearby stars for cool, dim stars and exoplanets, which would
otherwise be lost in the glare of their hosts. One of our first finds was a
companion star to Alcor, an old stargazer's friend in the Big Dipper. The story
of our discovery has unexpected ties with Galileo and a Romanian play from
1942.