Explore the Night with Bob King
Is Betelgeuse Fading Again?
Betelgeuse has dipped nearly half a magnitude since late January. Could it be headed for another Great Dimming Event? We also take a look at this spring's "other" eclipse.
Meet Wezen, a Yellow Tail for a Big Dog
Wezen, a yellow supergiant more than 1,600 light-years from Earth, is also the tail of the Canis Major constellation.
March Podcast: A Barely-There Lunar Eclipse
As told in the latest episode of our long-running Sky Tour astronomy podcast, this month it’ll be challenging to a special kind of lunar eclipse on March 25th — but easy to spot five of the 10 brightest stars in the night sky.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Fuzzy Glows: See Zodiacal Light, Gegenschein, Airglow, and Aurorae
Find time this season to set aside your telescope and seek the night sky's ghostly glows.
Astronomy for "Cloudy, Cloudy Nights"
If you have clouds in your forecast, don't give up! There’s plenty of astronomy to be enjoyed even on overcast nights.
Get to Know the Carina Constellation
The southern constellation Carina contains arguably the best nebula in the sky, along with a host of other fascinating stars and clusters.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Winter's Finest Triple Stars
Double stars are wonderful, but triples are terrific! Here are 16 trios to enjoy the next clear night.
February Podcast: Orion and His Cosmic Critters
As told in this month’s Sky Tour astronomy podcast, Orion, the Hunter, dominates February’s evening sky, but he seems unaware of the cosmic prey that surrounds him.
Explore the Night with Bob King
The Best Comets to Look for in 2024
If you like chasing comets, here's a guide to the year's best and brightest.
Meet Bellatrix, the Amazon Star
It's fitting that Bellatrix, the star at Orion's other shoulder, takes the name of "woman warrior," but it wasn't always that way.
The Night I Met the Crab Pulsar
An account of my journey to the heart of one of most violent cosmic explosions witnessed on Earth. Plus, there's a bright supernova now visible in a Virgo Cluster galaxy.
January Podcast: A Busy Start to 2024
If you’ve resolved to do more stargazing in the New Year, then 2024 will start you off with a bang! As told in this month’s Sky Tour astronomy podcast, you can look forward to some excellent celestial events.
Getting Started with Your New Telescope
How to start successfully with a new telescope — a guide to what you need to know, how to set it up, and things you can start finding with it in tonight's sky.
Watch Jupiter's Moons in Unusual Lineups
You'll have five opportunities in the coming months to see Jupiter's moons in interesting alignments.
Vesta Sets Sail Across Orion
Look who's visiting this winter in Orion: Vesta, a bright asteroid with a dark side.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Get Ready to Greet the Geminid Meteor Shower!
The year's most spectacular meteor shower is upon us. Prepare to enjoy the Geminids under a dark, moonless sky, when you might see more than 100 meteors per hour.
December Podcast: A Tower of Brilliant Stars
This month’s Sky Tour podcast introduces you to a “tower of brilliance” in the eastern evening sky, along with tips for finding four planets and watching mid-December’s impressive Geminid meteor shower.
Watch Uranus's Moon Titania Cover a Star Monday Night
Observers across much of the U.S. and Canada have a unique opportunity Monday night, November 20–21, to see Uranus's brightest moon occult a star.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Jupiter's Great Red Spot Just Keeps Getting Smaller
Jupiter's Great Red Spot may be reaching a milestone this year by shrinking to its smallest size in recorded observational history.
Meet Enif, the Nose of Pegasus
Enif, the nose of Pegasus, is a supergiant star and the brightest member of the constellation. Find out more about this star and its place in our skies.