81–100 of 1,389 results
M40 up close

Explore the Night with Bob King

The Twisted Path to Unconfounding "Double Star" Messier 40

The story of Messier object No. 40 not only makes for a great yarn, but it also demonstrates the haphazard nature of scientific progress.

Titan and its shadow Feb. 24, 2009

Explore the Night with Bob King

Titan Shadow Transit Season Underway

Titan shadow transits are rare, occurring only about every 15 years. Don't miss the chance to see one this observing season.

gigantic white jungle-gym-like structure, framed by the opening in the dome

Astronomy Travel

The Extremely Large Telescope: Our Biggest Eye on the Sky

Sky & Telescope's Govert Schilling visits what will be the world's most powerful optical telescope — the Extremely Large Telescope in Chile.

Full Moon with Cassini's Bright Spot

Explore the Night with Bob King

"Cassini's Bright Spot" Beams at Full Moon

Rayed craters pepper the Moon especially around full. Cassini's Bright Spot is one of the most striking.

Why We Look Up with Jennifer Willis

Galaxy Season: The Season of Wonder

During this season — the one in which galaxies are most abundant in the sky — galactic pursuits can bring us to a state of wonder.

K2-18 system

Explore the Night with Bob King

See the Host Sun of Exoplanet K2-18b

While you won't see a trace of this exoplanet or alien life, it's easy to spot the red dwarf star that warms its surface.

Astronomy Travel

Vera Rubin Observatory: Astronomy’s New Workhorse

In February 2025, Sky & Telescope contributing editor Govert Schilling visited three new astronomical observatories in northern Chile. This is the second of a three-part blog series.

Vesta by Dawn

Explore the Night with Bob King

Asteroid Vesta Now an Easy Catch in Binoculars

Vesta, both protoplanet and asteroid, reaches opposition on May 2nd. From a dark sky it's even visible with the naked eye.

Sky diagram showing Lyrid radiant among background stars

Explore the Night with Bob King

See the Lyrid Meteor Shower the Night of April 21–22

The annual Lyrid meteor shower should put on a great show this year. Enjoy it with a dash of the "dark side" of Saturn's rings.

Simons Observatory small-aperture telescope

Astronomy Travel

Simons Observatory: Big Bang Examiner

In February, Sky & Telescope Contributing Editor Govert Schilling visited three new astronomical observatories in northern Chile. This chronicle of the Simons Observatory is the first of a three-part blog series.

Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN)

Explore the Night with Bob King

New Comet SWAN Now Visible in Small Scopes

A new comet discovered in spacecraft images is bright enough to make you get out of bed before dawn.

dust cuts through the center of an edge-on spiral galaxy

Why We Look Up with Jennifer Willis

Step Out Into Darkness

What’s an amateur astronomer supposed to do if she’s afraid of the dark? Be brave!

V7993 Sgr nova finder map

Explore the Night with Bob King

New Nova in the "Teapot," Algol Blinks, and Uranus Occults a Star

A new nova for early risers plus three fun observing projects for the week ahead.

Fram2 launch

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

SpaceX Launches Historic Polar Mission

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lit up the skies over the Florida Space Coast Monday night, with the last mission of March 2025. Aboard were four crew members with a unique goal: to reach a polar orbit around the Earth.

Sunrise eclipse inferior mirage

Explore the Night with Bob King

Sunrise Solar Eclipse on March 29th for Eastern North America

The March 29th partial solar eclipse offers unique opportunities for photography and viewing alike.

Dwarf nova ilustration

Explore the Night with Bob King

T Coronae Borealis Isn't the Only Star Ready to Blow — Meet U Gem

As we wait on recurrent nova T CrB, dwarf nova U Geminorum is teeing up for its next 8-magnitude outburst.

eZIE

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

EZIE Mission Launches to Study the Aurora

EZIE has launched successfully, poised to probe a poorly understood aspect linking space weather to dazzling aurora.

Eclipse

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

A Total Solar Eclipse — from the Moon

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost mission on the Moon has captured a total solar eclipse — but from a lunar perspective.

Deimos is dark uneven rock with bright Mars landscape in the background

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

Europe's Hera Mission Swings Past Mars, Sees Deimos

The Hera mission sent back unprecedented views of the Martian moon Deimos as a prelude to the mission's final destination: the asteroid Didymos.

Total lunar eclipse sequence

Explore the Night with Bob King

Watch the Total Lunar Eclipse (March 13-14)

After more than two years, the Americas score a lunar eclipse bullseye.