Headlands

Astronomy Travel

10 U.S. Dark-Sky Parks You Need To Visit

There’s a simple rule for anyone searching for a dark sky; go somewhere others are not. The spread of LED lighting in North America over the past decade or so has worsened light pollution and skyglow in many previously dark locations. However, the vastness of the U.S. means there are…

Noise to clean

Imaging Foundations with Richard Wright

An Astrophotographer's Gentle Introduction to Noise

You don't need a PhD to understand noise in astronomical images — here's an introduction to the various sources of noise in astrophotography and how to combat them.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Dusty Vistas: Best Gritty Galaxies of the Season

Stare up at the Milky Way band on a dark night and you'll see missing pieces from clouds of foreground dust that absorb the light of distant stars. There are other mottled "milky ways" just like ours, millions of light-years away.

ARIEL Mission

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

ARIEL: Next-Decade Exoplanet Mission Selected

The European Space Agency's ARIEL mission will seek to analyze the atmospheric composition and true nature of distant worlds.

Storm on Saturn, Photo by Damian Peach

Explore the Night with Bob King

Big Scope Breakout: New Supernovae, Novae, Bright Spot on Saturn

The sky's been bursting with exploding stars this season. Plus there's a new storm on Saturn. What's a skywatcher to do? Haul out the scope!

Explore the Night with Bob King

Put a Little Bit of Leo in Your Life

We lift the Lion's paw to find a bright, red variable star, a germinating planetary nebula, galaxies rarely visited, and a diversity of doubles.

Radar Tiangong

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

Tiangong 1's Remote Reentry

China's first space station reentered Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific after almost seven years in space.

Explore the Night with Bob King

What Southern Stargazers Long to See in Northern Skies

Southern Hemisphere objects like Omega Centauri and the Magellanic Clouds make Northern Hemisphere observers envious. Today, we turn the tables and find out what those living in negative latitudes would love to see up north.

Time's almost up

Explore the Night with Bob King

Last Chance to See Doomed Chinese Space Station

China's premier space station, Tiangong 1, has a one-way ticket into the Earth's atmosphere later this month. See it before it's no more.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Walking with Arcturus

Stars are time machines that can transport us into the past or future. They can also illuminate our own personal journeys, as Arcturus did for me one night.

large grey disk floating against grey background

Cosmic Relief with David Grinspoon

Alien Visitor

The first interstellar object seen entering the solar system is really quite bizarre.

Imaging Foundations with Richard Wright

PixInsight vs Photoshop: Which is Better for Astrophotography?

Is it possible to settle the PixInsight vs. Photoshop debate once and for all? Yes: Learn both and gain the skills you need to make better astrophotos!

Explore the Night with Bob King

Budding and Ancient Star Clusters of the March Sky

Open clusters present a mystery. Some fall apart in a few hundred million years, others hang around for billions. Join me as we visit both the youngest and oldest star clusters in the Milky Way.

Andoya Launch

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

Rocket Barrage to Study Northern Lights

A series of 11 sounding rocket flights from two remote locations in the Arctic circle will help unlock the secrets of the processes behind the Northern Lights.

Tycho Crater, Image by Frank Barrett

Explore the Night with Bob King

Full Moon Is Tycho Time

With this week's full Moon, the dazzling crater Tycho will be in full regalia. Time to catch some rays!

Explore the Night with Bob King

Venus Peeps Back Into View at Dusk

After a long drought, a bright planet emerges in the western sky. Welcome back, Venus!

WFIRST

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

NASA Budget Proposal Cancels WFIRST

The recent budget proposal for NASA dealt a blow to the astronomical community, putting several key missions — including WFIRST, a successor to Hubble — under the financial axe.

Imaging Foundations with Richard Wright

How to Capture the Clearest Astro Images

Capturing crystal-clear astro images involves a delicate balance of having just enough pixels for the object you're imaging. But you don't need a PhD to understand the sampling theory that's involved.

Orion's Belt by Bob King

Explore the Night with Bob King

A Winter Night's Sojourn in Orion's Belt

Orion's Belt is a magnetic sight on February nights. Take the bait and revel in a bounty of double and multiple stars, nebulae, and more.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Asteroid 2018 CB Zips by Earth Friday: Watch it Online

Newly-discovered asteroid 2018 CB will be passing only about 44,000 miles away Friday and visible in modest telescopes.