SUNSET: 
ASTRONOMY & OBSERVING NEWS
Webb Telescope Surveys a Hot Saturn
A collection of five research studies delve into the atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-39b as astronomers seek to better understand the chemistry of a world beyond the solar system.
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observing guides
Where to Look Tonight
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 2 – 10
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 2 – 10
Mars is at opposition this week. And on opposition night December 7-8, Mars is occulted by the perfectly full Moon. Orion enters stage east earlier and earlier, the Summer Triangle sinks west, and Jupiter reigns on high.
where to lookDecember: Mars in the Spotlight
Sky Tour Podcast
December's solstice means that for many skywatchers the night will be up to 14 hours long — providing lots of time to enjoy the starry sky. This month’s celestial highlights are the close approach of the Moon and Mars (and, for many, a coverup) on December 7th and the Gemind meteor shower on the December 13th. Our fun and factual Sky Tour podcast provides all the details.
Subscribe NowBecome a Backyard Cosmic Explorer
Become a Backyard Cosmic Explorer
No matter how you look up at the sky — with a telescope, binos, or just your eyes — you're a cosmic explorer.
Read moreEditor's PICKS
Photographer: varadinagypal
Photographer: Steven Miller
Photographer: nazmus
Photographer: Dereck Bowen
Photographer: Jeff Phillips
Photographer: Sergio Eguivar
Oct 24 Lunar Occultation of Mercury
Photographer: RMay7
Photographer: Alson Wong
Photographer: murison
Lunar Eclipse, the Pleiades, and the Hyades
Photographer: Alson Wong
Photographer: Richard Bell
Photographer: AstroFrontyard
Photographer: jason.dain
Photographer: rouzastro
Photographer: KuriousGeorge
Photographer: ABQTom
Partial solar eclipse of 2022 October 25th
Photographer: MOREL-Philippe
Photographer: Jeff Phillips
Photographer: geldingmakr
Photographer: Joseph Oskilanec
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Issue Highlights
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Aging Ungracefully
Melinda Soares-Furtado & Sarah Kubiak
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The Neverending Survey
Karen Masters
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Riding the Radcliffe Wave
Brian Ventrudo