SUNSET: 
PanSTARRS Comet, Rocked by Outburst, Goes Green
Comet PanSTARRS (C/2017 S3) has erupted again! Now bright enough to see in binoculars, it might become a naked-eye object if it survives until perihelion.
Observers Anxious for Dust to Settle as Mars Opposition Approaches
With opposition only weeks away, will the current global dust storm finally break? We look at the prospects.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Don't Miss Aldebaran's Last Occultation Till 2033
The last and one of the most picturesque occultations of Aldebaran by the Moon happens on Tuesday morning, July 10. Catch it or wait 15 years for the next!
Explore the Night with Bob King
Fireworks, Planets, Comets, a Nova — July's Got it All!
July's a busy month for skywatching. Not only are five bright planets in view, but three comets and a newly-discovered nova are also observable. And it all starts with a bang on Independence Day.
Astronomy and Stargazing Projects
The Eyes Have it — Deep-Sky Observing Without Equipment
No telescope? No problem. Just use your eyeballs! On a dark summer night at least two dozen deep-sky objects can be seen without optical aid.
Big Dust Storm Blows up on Mars (Updated)
Will Mars soon be hidden under a veil of dust? Let's hope not. We explore the current storm and the planet's upcoming close opposition.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Quest for the Green Flash
If you like sunrises and sunsets, look for the green flash, a phenomenon that happens more often that you think.
Explore the Night with Bob King
M13 with a Side of Galaxies, Please
The Great Hercules Cluster is on everyone's observing list this summer. But there's lots more to see within a stone's throw of this grand object — like 20 galaxies!
Asteroid 2018 LA Explodes Over Botswana Hours After Discovery
Don't look now — it's already gone! Asteroid 2018 LA screeched into Earth's atmosphere only 7 hours after its discovery to create a Sun-bright spectacle over South Africa and Botswana.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Vesta Gets Close and Bright
Vesta, the brightest asteroid, puts on one of its best shows ever in June, when it shines enough to see without optical aid.
Spice Up Your Space Station Watching
The annual International Space Station marathon is underway with multiple passes visible each night. Here are some fun and unique ways to see and share it.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Vega Promises, Venus Visits M35, and a Subtle Comet Shines at Morning
A familiar light shines in the east at dusk, Venus makes a pit stop at a departing star cluster, and Comet PanSTARRS (C/2016 M1) coaxes before dawn.
Jupiter Shines with a Mighty Light
Jupiter's at opposition this week. Close and bright, it shines like a midnight version of Venus. No matter your scope, the biggest planet is always a crowd-pleaser.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Time Travel for Skywatchers
Time travel is one of the best things about astronomy. Check out two websites that give skywatchers a more visceral sense of stellar distances and how constellations change shape across the sweep of time.
Dwarf Nova V392 Persei Goes Big — It's Now Binocular Bright
In a rare move, a sleepy cataclysmic variable blows its top and suddenly becomes a nova.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Seven Nights of Enticing Lunar Sights
Come along for a 7-night tour of some of the Moon's most compelling features visible in small telescopes.
Explore the Night with Bob King
The Lyrid Shower Kicks Off Year of Great Meteor Watching
The annual Lyrid meteor shower will shoot off silent fireworks on Earth Day this Sunday. We explore the shower's origin and how best to view and photograph it.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Dusty Vistas: Best Gritty Galaxies of the Season
Stare up at the Milky Way band on a dark night and you'll see missing pieces from clouds of foreground dust that absorb the light of distant stars. There are other mottled "milky ways" just like ours, millions of light-years away.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Big Scope Breakout: New Supernovae, Novae, Bright Spot on Saturn
The sky's been bursting with exploding stars this season. Plus there's a new storm on Saturn. What's a skywatcher to do? Haul out the scope!
Put a Little Bit of Leo in Your Life
We lift the Lion's paw to find a bright, red variable star, a germinating planetary nebula, galaxies rarely visited, and a diversity of doubles.
