SUNSET: 
Explore the Night with Bob King
Hunting Bright Variable Stars in M5 and M13
Globular clusters are packed with variable stars, some of which are easy to see and follow in amateur telescopes. We explore M5 and M13, two of the season's finest.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Double-Star Date with a Dragon
For your enjoyment, a diverse selection of double stars in Draco for small and medium telescopes.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Yanking Markarian's Chain
Markarian's Chain, a remarkable arc of bright galaxies, is your ticket to the Virgo Cluster. Hop aboard!
Explore the Night with Bob King
Twinkle, Twinkle Quasi-Star — 12 Quasars for Spring Evenings
Quasars are among the brightest and most distant objects in the universe. Many are visible in amateur scopes if you know just where to look. We'll help you track them down.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Pop in on Pallas and Iris Tonight
Break out your binoculars or telescope the next clear night for a peek at the bright asteroids Pallas and Iris, both at opposition this spring.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Amazing Images Capture Giant Fireball Exploding Over the Bering Sea
A powerful fireball exploded over the wilds of eastern Russia last December. Satellites captured the whole thing.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Happy Nights with the Hyades: Double Stars and Galaxies Await
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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!
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
