SUNSET: 
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.
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,…
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.…
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…
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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").
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.
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.
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.
Earthshine, the Moon's Darker Side
Explore the Moon's dark side with the aid of earthshine.
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.
