401–420 of 429 results
J-F Millet, Sheepfold

Explore the Night with Bob King

What Makes Moonlight Special?

Romantic, mysterious, soothing, and radiant, moonlight has its own special qualities. We explore how we perceive the night under a bright Moon. A moonlit stroll is starkly different from a walk in the sunshine. Moonlight's dark, spooky quality contrasts with the clarity of sunlight. And while it may not grow hair…

Explore the Night with Bob King

Have a Sirius-ly Scintillating Holiday!

Find out what makes Sirius twinkle.

Simple anatomy of a nebula

Explore the Night with Bob King

How to See the Orion Nebula in 3D

Add another dimension of viewing to winter's favorite deep sky object, the Great Nebula of Orion. The Orion Nebula is arguably the centerpiece of the winter sky. This bright, richly-detailed blossom of glowing gas and dust invites repeated observation. How many of us have pointed our telescope or binoculars in its direction five,…

Meek beginnings for the brightest planet

Explore the Night with Bob King

Venus Finally Comes Out of Hiding

Welcome back, Venus! Brightest planet in the sky returns just in time for the holidays. "There are so many stars shining in the sky, so many beautiful things winking at you, but when Venus comes out, all the others are waned ... Mehmet Murat ildan from the play Galileo Galilei (2001) I miss Venus.…

Carbon stars' color make them visual magnets

Explore the Night with Bob King

Carbon Stars Will Make You See Red

Treasure hunting for carbon stars, the rubies of the night sky. Color can be tough to come by in the deep sky, especially if you own a small telescope. Planets serve up a medley of subtle hues, as do a few planetary and bright nebulae. Stars show tints of blue, yellow, and orange, but there's nothing…

Round makes jagged when the light is right

Explore the Night with Bob King

Shadows on the Moon Make a Point

Fooled by shadow play into thinking lunar mountains were pointy pinnacles? Learn why we often see them that way.

Explore the Night with Bob King

When Algol Winks, Will You Wink Back?

The dark ways of Algol the Demon Star, and what it can teach us about stellar evolution.

Moose and Crane provide symbolize practical needs and inner spirit

Explore the Night with Bob King

Make Way for the Wintermaker

The grand figure of Orion the Hunter brightens November skies, rising around 9 p.m. local time in late November. Johannes Hevelius, 1690 Orion the Hunter is arguably one of the most recognizable constellations in the sky. Striding the celestial equator, he charges up from this eastern horizon around 9 o'clock…

Leonid fireball from 2001

Celestial News & Events

See November's Speedy Leonids

Often ignored in off years, why not treat yourself to the Leonids this month, a shower famed for fireballs and smoke trails.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Exoplanets for the Mind's Eye

While we may never see a planet orbiting a star other than the sun that doesn't mean we can't go there in a flight of fancy.

Seven Sisters rise again this month

Explore the Night with Bob King

How Many Pleiades Can YOU See?

Most of us are familiar with the Seven Sisters, but have you met their brothers? Learn how to find more Pleiades than first meet the eye.

Cone of zodiacal light stretching into the sky from behind a dark silhouette of evergreen trees.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Zodiacal Light - Captivated by Comet Dust

October's a perfect time to see the zodiacal light, a tapering tower of comet dust standing high in the eastern sky before dawn. Here's how to find it.

ISS slips into shadow over Iowa

Celestial News & Events

Watch a Sunset with the ISS Astronauts

Watch the International Space Station as it passes into the shadow of the Earth, and learn what other features to keep an eye out for (such as the "water dump").

Celestial Objects to Observe

Fomalhaut: A Crazy-Wide Triple Star

Lonely Fomalhaut turns out to have plenty of company. Learn how to find its two remarkably distant stellar companions.

Burst of light in the night

Celestial News & Events

How to Never Miss an Aurora

Learn exactly how and when to expect the next display of the northern lights with a few easy-to-use online tools.

Explore the Night with Bob King

9,096 Stars in the Sky—Is That All?

Ten thousand stars bedazzle the eye on a dark night. Wait, how many?

Explore the Night with Bob King

Meet My Variable Friend SS Cygni

Get acquainted with SS Cygni, the sky's brightest cataclysmic variable star. It's guaranteed to keep you on your toes.

Fortuitous intersection

Celestial News & Events

See Saturn's Moon Rhea Hide a Star

Watch as the moon Rhea steals a star from the sky for nearly a minute on September 12th.

Crescent cradles the 'old moon'

Solar System

Earthshine, the Moon's Darker Side

Explore the Moon's dark side with the aid of earthshine.

Comet and nebula - near and far

Solar System

Happy Times for Comet Watchers

Seize the moment and bookend your next clear night with two fine telescopic comets: Jacques at dusk and Oukaimeden at dawn.