Free Astronomy Magazine 2018 №07-08 July-August

Astro Publishing di Pirlo L. — 52 p.Our project for an astronomy magazine in digital format dates back to the summer of 2008 and became a reality in December of that same year with the first issue in Italian of l'Astrofilo (the amateur astronomer). To meet the readers’ habits, the magazine’s initial layout was similar to that of its printed counterparts, but over the years it evolved into a more mature, complete form, capable of quickly adapting to the ever-changing market, to the evolution of new technologies and the challenging global economic times. After a transitional period, during which were also published science-themed comics (as monthly supplements) and photographic single-issue magazines, in late 2011, l'Astrofilo assumed the current layout and was made available in Italian newsstands in paper form, without though stopping being present on the web. That experience lasted until December 2012 and confirmed the lack of prospects for astronomy magazines in printed form. From January 2013, we have therefore returned to publish only the digital free version, which incorporates various multimedia page features, at the forefront of the online magazine market. In May 2014, Astro Publishing took a significant step forward by making available the English version of the magazine, Free Astronomy Magazine, offsetting its greater editorial commitment with a new bi-monthly frequency. In January 2016, Astro Publishing took another significant step forward by making available to its readers the Portuguese version of the magazine, Notícias do Espaço. Just two months after, also a fourth language version of l'Astrofilo magazine, MacroCosmos, was launched for the benefit of our French readers, thus further strengthening our role as a major international player in the dissemination of astronomical information. But there was yet another important step to take, that is creating the Spanish version, a milestone reached at the beginning of 2017, with the publication of the first issue of the magazine Universo. Thanks to being completely free, our magazines are today known by more than 1000 amateur astronomers associations around the world and are followed by countless readers who can freely browse all issues published since December 2011. Our primary goal for the future is to continue to freely spread high-quality astronomical culture while continuing to do better what nobody has ever done before.