SUNSET: 
It's Spring! Time to Visit the Bright Galaxies of Leo I
Springtime is galaxy time. Only 30 million light years away, the Leo I Group and nearby Leo Triplet entice the eye with an assortment of bright spiral and elliptical galaxies. Welcome to spring! The new season begins (or began depending on when you read this) at 5:58 p.m. EDT on…
Explore the Night with Bob King
Deep-sky Hunting in Cancer, the Crab
As winter melts into spring, we sample both familiar and overlooked deep-sky treasures in the "empty space" between Gemini and Leo, home of the Crab.
Explore the Night with Bob King
How to See Sirius in the Daytime
Spotting Sirius in broad daylight may be easier than you think! Here's how to do it.
Explore the Night with Bob King
A Zodiac Ramble . . . with a Few Fun Detours
Take a trip along the ecliptic from dusk till dawn to check out the sights along this well-traveled highway — the zodiacal light, Mercury, and the gegenschein, plus scenic detours to a comet and asteroid.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Right Ascension & Declination: Celestial Coordinates for Beginners
Once you hold the golden keys of right ascension and declination, finding your way around the sky is almost as easy as finding your way around town.
Deep-Sky Observing Without Equipment, Part II — The Winter Sky
Really want to see what your eyes can do? Leave the telescope at home and join me for a naked-eye tour of the late winter sky.
Will Sirius Disappear on February 18th?
On Monday night, February 18th, observers in the western U.S. and Mexico may see the occultation of a lifetime when a tiny asteroid momentarily blots out the night sky's brightest star.
Comet Iwamoto Ascends and Brightens
Comet Iwamoto is visible as a binocular target from a dark sky. Follow it this week as it passes from Virgo into Leo.
Happy Nights with the Hyades
The Hyades open cluster may stand in the shadow of its neighbor the Pleiades, but there's a wide variety of wonders here from naked-eye double stars to challenging galaxies. Let's pay a visit.
A Space Rock Strikes Moon During the Total Lunar Eclipse
The Moon got bonked by a space rock during Sunday's total lunar eclipse. Take a look!
Comets to Catch in 2019
We peek ahead to see what comets await in 2019. Bright ones will be sparse, but several nice objects, including Comet Iwamoto (C/2018 Y1) and Comet Africano (C/2018 W2), will keep things lively.
Your Guide to January's Supermoon Total Lunar Eclipse
The first full Moon of 2019 meets Earth's shadow in a widely visible total eclipse on the evening of January 20–21. Here's a guide on what to expect.
Start 2019 with the Quadrantid Meteor Shower
Set aside your qualms about the cold and cash in on the Quadrantids, one of this year's best meteor showers.
Venus Occults a Star and Mercury Joins Jupiter on the Winter Solstice
Bring in winter with a bang with a beautiful, close conjunction and a rare planet-star occultation.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Chasing Comet 46P/Wirtanen as the Moon Looms
Learn how chase away the Moon to keep Comet 46P/Wirtanen in a dark sky. Here's an update on the comet's progress and what to look for in the coming nights.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Spend an Hour with the Geminid Meteor Shower
Move over 46P/Wirtanen, it's time for the Geminids, the richest meteor shower of the year.
Mars and Neptune Have a Close Shave
Want to find Neptune the easy way? Just point your binoculars or telescope at Mars the next few nights, when the two planets will be in close conjunction.
Explore the Night with Bob King
SpaceX Launches Orbiting "Sculpture in the Sky" / Comet Update
An art sculpture achieves orbit, 46P/Wirtanen becomes a naked-eye comet, and C/2018 V1 makes one last good pass.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Supernova Discovered in the Bright Galaxy M77
A new supernova in the bright galaxy M77 in Cetus is within range of amateur telescopes. Here's how to find it.
Seeking Cas A, the Ghostly Remains of a Mysterious Supernova
We still don't know for sure if anyone saw the supernova explosion in Cassiopeia around 1680, but there's no question we can observe what remains of it today.
