SUNSET: 
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Malfunction Cripples Hitomi X-ray Observatory
Ground controllers are scrambling to recover the Hitomi satellite from a mysterious 'debris anomaly' over the past weekend.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Comet 252P Zooms North, BA14 Grows Tail
Splintered comet duo 252P/LINEAR and P/2016 BA14 liven up both dusk and dawn this week. Naked-eye 252P finally debuts in northern skies, while BA14 makes a beeline through the Big Dipper.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Comet PanSTARRS 2016's Historic Flyby of Earth
Not one, but two, possibly related comets will make exceptionally close flybys of Earth on March 21–22. Here's what we know and a guide on how to see them.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter Heads to Space
The launch of ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Schiaparelli lander heralds a new phase of Mars exploration.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Meet the Meager March Moon
Baptized in the fire of yesterday's total solar eclipse, a very young crescent Moon emerges into the night sky.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
CANYVAL-X: Two CubeSats, One Telescope
An innovative CubeSat mission, slated to take to space this year, will demonstrate the feasibility of free-flying satellites.
Explore the Night with Bob King
NGC 2346: A Cosmic Butterfly Plays Peekaboo
Spiraling stars and light-soaking dust clouds enliven the heart of this lesser-known planetary nebula NGC 2346 in Monoceros. Will you be the first to catch it playing peekaboo again?
Cosmic Relief with David Grinspoon
Could It Be: Possible Signs of Extraterrestrial Intelligence?
We need to learn how to talk about possible signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Frightful Nights Under the Stars
The lure of dark skies often takes us to unfamiliar places where nocturnal animals and encounters with strangers can ignite our primal fears.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
WFIRST: Next Decade's Space Telescope
NASA is commencing work on the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), the successor to the Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescopes.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
New X-ray Observatory Takes to the Skies
Japan’s newest X-ray satellite, Hitomi (formerly Astro-H), promises to reveal the hot and hidden universe.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Jupiter Jumps Back Into The Evening Sky
Jove begins a new apparition with a redder Red Spot, pirouetting moons, and ever-changing cloudscapes.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Overlooked Wonders In Orion's Shadow
Put the Great Nebula in Orion in the backseat and pay a visit to its humble neighbors
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Mirror Assembled for Hubble's Successor
NASA has assembled the primary mirror for the James Webb Space Telescope, a big step on the way to the telescope’s October 2018 launch.
Explore the Night with Bob King
It's Not Over Till The Fast Planet Sinks
This week and early next will be your last chance to see five planets — six if you count Earth — at dawn.
Explore the Night with Bob King
How To Stay Warm Observing In Winter
Does the cold make you think twice about winter observing? Here are a few tips on how to do it in comfort.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Hunting for Planets Around Proxima Centauri
The Pale Red Dot Initiative has begun the search in earnest for exoplanets orbiting the nearest star to Earth besides the Sun.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Asterisms for Winter Nights
Asterisms appeal to our playful side but also serve as key waypoints in the sky for identifying fainter stars and constellations.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Smack! Booster Impact Site Found on Moon
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has finally spotted the impact of the Apollo 16 booster, more than 43 years after it happened.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Picking Plums in the Galactic Anticenter
In winter, we face the Milky Way's anticenter, a little-explored region offering goodies for telescopes both large and small. Few give much thought to the Milky Way's anticenter, a lonely locale 180° opposite the busy metropolis of Sagittarius, where the summer Milky Way glitters like Vegas. On winter nights, Sagittarius lies behind us, hidden by Earth's…
