SUNSET: 
Making Time for Morning Comets
If you like mixing comets with the quietude of observing in the small hours, September opens with five fuzzy vagabonds just waiting for a visit.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Jupiter Dazzles at Its Brightest and Closest This Year
Jupiter comes to opposition on August 20th, when it will shine brighter and closer than at any other time this year. With nights starting earlier and cooler temperatures arriving, there's no better time to make the most of the planet.
Fine Show Expected from the Perseid Meteor Shower
With no interference from the Moon, this year's Perseid meteor shower should be excellent. If you couldn't catch the show last night, try looking up tonight!
Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi Just Blew its Top!
The recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi just went into outburst — its first burst in 15 years — and it's bright enough to see with the naked eye
Explore the Night with Bob King
Dazzling Double Stars for Compromised Skies
For many, smoke from wildfires has transformed summer nights, blotting out stars and familiar deep-sky sights. But through it all double stars keep on shining.
Explore the Night with Bob King
In Heaven with M7, a Portal Into the Deep
M7 in Scorpius is one of the brightest, most beautiful open clusters in the sky. It's also "home" to a half-dozen other delectable deep-sky sights.
Noctilucent Cloud Show, a Mercurial Nova, and More
Summer only lasts so long. Like everything, it's transient. That will be our theme as we explore wispy noctilucent clouds, a nova that can't sit still, and a supernova in NGC 5427 in Virgo.
Summer Nights Offer Splendid Sights in Lyra
Lyra, the Lyre, offers a wonderful assortment of double stars and deep-sky objects to keep you up at night. Break out your binoculars and telescope and join me for a summertime ramble.
Bright Nova in Hercules on a Roller Coaster Ride
A new bright nova discovered in Hercules at 8th magnitude briefly rose to naked-eye visibility. It's currently easily visible in a pair of binoculars.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Chasing the Sun at 39,000 Feet
Sky & Telescope's annular-eclipse flight chased down the "ring of fire" eclipse in the skies above Canada for breathtaking views.
A Sunrise Annular Solar Eclipse
Even if you're not in the path of annularity during the June 10th solar eclipse, get ready for a sunrise spectacle.
Dawn Delight: Catch the Total Lunar Eclipse on May 26, 2021
On May 26th the Moon will be in total eclipse for the first time in nearly two and a half years. While timing favors western North America, a partial eclipse will be visible across much of the U.S. and Canada at dawn.
Nova in Cassiopeia Brightens Suddenly
A star in the constellation Cassiopeia that flared into view during mid-March has erupted to naked-eye visibility. Catch it while you can!
Explore the Night with Bob King
In Search of Ancient Suns
We track down and admire five of the most ancient stars in the universe.
Hunting Barnard's Variable in the Globular Cluster M3
We beat a path through a forest of stars to find the first variable star ever discovered in a globular star cluster.
A Bouquet of Novae Brightens April Nights
With the recent discovery of Nova Scorpii 2021 earlier this week, three bright stellar explosions are now visible in small telescopes from dusk till dawn.
Make the Most of Comet ATLAS
Bright comets will be scarce this year, but you can see one of the better ones this month as it races from Aquila to Canes Venatici. In other news, a new, bright nova has flared in Sagittarius.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Mutual Event Season Heats Up at Jupiter
Jupiter is usually the one occulting and eclipsing the Galilean moons, but this observing season the moons also eclipse and occult one another.
Bright Nova Erupts in Cassiopeia
A new nova in Cassiopeia, discovered on March 18th, is bright enough to see in a small telescope.
Exploring Bright Galaxy Groups in Leo
Leo, the Lion, stands high in the southern sky during the early spring. We visit some of the constellation's brighter galaxy clumps then go asteroid hunting.
