SUNSET: 
Perseids Are Coming, Full Moon or Not
Don't use a full Moon pass to skip this year's Perseid meteor shower. Right here, right now, we're going to help you make the most of it.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 5 – 13
The Moon and Saturn come to opposition this week, showing us their full sunlit faces. Jupiter looms big late in the night, Vega attains the zenith, and we cross the midpoint of summer. The Perseid meteors get partly mooned out.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 29 – August 6
As the Big Dipper dips and the Guardians of the Pole align one over the other, Saturn looms low in the southeast and the False Comet teases at its highest.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 22 – 30
Bright Arcturus is still pretty high after dark, but as summer progresses, it moves down the western side of the evening sky. Its pale ginger-ale tint always helps identify it.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 15 – 23
The waning Moon says hi to late-night Saturn, the Teapot starts tilting, the Great Square thrusts up, and the Milky Way arches high.
See a Rare Transit of Iapetus on July 17–18
It's tiny. It's challenging. But you won't get the chance to see Iapetus transit the globe of Saturn again until 2037!
This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 8 – 16
July is Scorpius season. Maybe you know of the Cat's Eyes in the Scorpion's tail, but how about the Little Cat's Eyes in the Scorpion's body? The Sagittarius Teapot follows not far behind.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Titan Occults a Bright Star, Mira Awakens, and Comet PanSTARRS Shines
Pick one or see them all. July offers a potpourri of celestial events for both naked-eye observers and telescope users that include a rare occultation by Saturn's moon Titan, a bright comet, and Mira at maximum.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 1 – 9
The Moon waxes across the evening sky from Leo to Scorpius. The five-planet lineup in the dawn is now four. And amateur astronomers plan to be recording as Saturn's hazy moon Titan occult a star about as bright as Titan itself for most of North America.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 24 – July 2
The crescent Moon returns to the evening, crossing Leo. The five-planet lineup continues at dawn; catch it while you still can. And for skywatchers at northern latitudes, we're entering noctilucent cloud season.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Solar System Gets its Ducks in a Row
We'll have not one but many opportunities to enjoy a rare lineup of the bright planets over the next few weeks. Amazingly, they'll be aligned in order of their distance from the Sun.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 17 – 25
The five naked-eye planets form a diagonal line in the dawn this week — in order of their distance from the Sun, no less. And the waning Moon visits each one in turn, day by day.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 10 – 18
The waxing gibbous Moon shines with Spica, then occults Delta Scorpii. Meanwhile, all seven planets other than Earth are forming into a diagonal line across the east to southeast at dawn.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Tau Herculid Meteors Surprise and Delight
We touch on the highlights of the memorable Tau Herculid meteor shower and also report on the recent outburst of the recurrent nova U Scorpii.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 3 – 11
For three nights running, the waxing Moon will pose equidistant from the two brightest stars of Leo. The Cassiopeia W lies exactly level in the north. And for that to happen, Kochab has to be straight above Polaris.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 27 – June 4
The crescent Moon passes Pollux and Castor in the western twilight. Jupiter aligns with Mars in the dawn, then they edge apart. And a strong new meteor shower will either happen or it won't!
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 20 – 28
The advancing spring sends Vega high and Capella low. The Coma Berenices cluster glitters shyly way up, big and dim. Glance up anytime to check on changing Beta Lyrae. And now in the dawn, Jupiter aligns with Mars.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Witness a Total Lunar Eclipse on Sunday, May 15–16
The full Flower Moon ducks inside Earth's shadow in a total lunar eclipse this month. We help you prepare for all the highlights of the special event.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 13 – 21
The Moon becomes totally eclipsed, Corvus eyes Spica, Draco eyes Vega, and the last star of the rising Summer Triangle clears the horizon.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 6 – 14
The Moon aligns with Pollux and Castor – but how precisely for you? Three zero-magnitude stars form a far-flung spring triad. And with Libra and Bootes up, the two oldest things you will ever see await your binoculars or scope.