461–480 of 526 results
Monster in our midst

Explore the Night with Bob King

Observer's Guide to the H-alpha Sun

Want to see a star rock in real time? Observe the Sun in the crimson light of hydrogen alpha and watch it come alive.

Binocular basics

Explore the Night with Bob King

Watch Andromeda Galaxy Blossom in Binoculars

How much can you see of the Andromeda Galaxy system with just a pair of binoculars? Turns out a lot!

Simply magnificent!

Explore the Night with Bob King

How to See the Farthest Thing You Can See in the Night Sky

Step by step, we explore the farthest things visible with the naked eye, from the most distant star to the hinterlands of the Andromeda Galaxy

Gaia14aae, artist's conception

Explore the Night with Bob King

Violent Lights For September Nights

Find out how two closely-orbiting stellar pairs create fireworks you can see in your own backyard telescope.

Worlds of gas and ice

Explore the Night with Bob King

Neptune And Its Maverick Moon Triton

Neptune reaches opposition next week, giving amateurs the chance to track its unique, backwards-orbiting moon Triton.

Gift at day's end

Explore the Night with Bob King

Tiptoe Into The Twilight Zone

Twilight. Gloaming. Dusk. Blue Hour — all names for that colorful and contemplative time between day and night. We explore twilight's brief but fascinating sights and learn why it gets shorter as summer turns to fall. Twilight takes us gently into that good night. I wouldn't mind spending time on the Moon, but I'd miss…

Comet 67P/C-G

Explore the Night with Bob King

Rosetta's Comet Beckons At Dawn

Northern hemisphere observers have this month and next to get their best look at Rosetta's comet, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Let's Get Serious About Ceres

We pay a visit to Ceres, now the apple of the Dawn Mission's eye, as it creeps through Sagittarius this month

Old rock sprinkled atop new

Explore the Night with Bob King

Rayed Craters on the Moon

Like "catching some rays"? Explore the beauty and dazzle of crater rays, the tracks left by powerful impacts in the not-so-distant past.

Green-striped night

Explore the Night with Bob King

Why We Can See In The Dark

In search of a pitch black night? Don't expect to find it on Earth. Thanks to starlight, zodiacal light, and especially airglow, true darkness doesn't exist.

Barnard's footsteps

Explore the Night with Bob King

Dive Into Scutum's Dark Nebulae

One of the smallest constellations in the sky hosts one of the richest concentrations of dark nebulae. Join me for a dip in these dark pools from which the next generation of stars will be born.

Roller-coaster ride south

Explore the Night with Bob King

C/2014 Q1 (PanSTARRS): Next Naked-Eye Comet?

Comet C/2014 Q1 PanSTARRS has been skirting the northern horizon since mid-June. Now it's ready to dip Down Under, where it may be visible with the naked eye in evening twilight.

Jove watches over the fireflies

Explore the Night with Bob King

Fireflies, Green Stars, and Chromatic Duos

July nights bring the green flicker of fireflies and a question — are there any green stars we can see in our telescopes? The answer may surprise you.

Non-threatening, favorable pass

Explore the Night with Bob King

See Icarus Wing By Earth This Week

It's no myth. Icarus makes a rare flyby of Earth this week. Here's how to see it in your telescope and live online.

Starry abyss!

Explore the Night with Bob King

What Can You See Through Baade's Window?

Cobwebs of cosmic dust limit how far we can see into the Milky Way's hub, but Baade's Window offers a rare glimpse into the stellar riches that await us there.

Little Red Corvette

Explore the Night with Bob King

On the Move with Barnard's Star and 61 Cygni

Stars may appear static, but they're on the move. Put these two speed demons on your observing list this summer. When you return in a year or two, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Dazzling and dizzying fast

Explore the Night with Bob King

Will We Still Recognize the Sky in 27,800 AD?

With Arcturus as our touchstone, we set off in a virtual time machine to visit the sky of the distant future.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Splashy Saturn At Its Best and Brightest

Saturn reaches opposition this week, offering the best view of it we've had in years. This guide will help you explore the ringed planet's many charms.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Visit Venus in Its Darkest Hour

Keep your eye on the prize in the western sky. Venus sets exceptionally late this month, presenting skywatchers with several unusual observing opportunities.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Do We Have Pieces of Pallas on Earth?

Chips of Pallas grace meteorite collections around the world. See where they all came from when the asteroid reaches opposition this spring.