Comet PanSTARRS (C/2015 ER61) in Outburst and Binocular Bright
Dawn comet C/2015 ER61 PanSTARRS just underwent a bright outburst and is now an easy binocular object. Take a look before the Moon returns!
Tour April's Sky: Critters on the March
As you'll hear in this month's podcast, April is a time when it's easy to spot a lion, a sea serpent, and two bears in the evening sky.
Comet Lovejoy Brightens Quickly, Heads North
Terry Lovejoy's new comet has gone from faint to bright in just three weeks and is now a tempting binocular target at dawn.
Bright Supernova Erupts in NGC 5643 in Lupus
A recently discovered supernova in Lupus now shines around magnitude +11.5, bright enough to see in a modest telescope. With photos and maps, we'll get you there. I wished I lived in Georgia and not just for the peach trees and warmer weather. No, I'd be able to get up early…
Comet 41P/T-G-K Greens Up For St. Paddy's Day
Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak begins its best showing of the year this week as it slingshots across the Big Dipper into circumpolar skies.
Aldebaran's Disappearing Act on March 4th
On the night of March 4th, all you'll need are your eyes to watch the Moon occult Aldebaran. Better yet, place yourself on the graze line.
Tour March's Sky: Venus Sinks, Mercury Rises
In this month's easy-to-download podcast, find out how you can spot Venus in both the evening and predawn skies.Late in March, Mercury makes an appearance.
Sunday's Annular Solar Eclipse: First Reports
Clear skies prevailed across Patagonia in South America, providing intrepid eclipse-chasers with beautiful views of February 26th's annular solar eclipse.
February 26th's Annular Solar Eclipse in 2017
Die-hard eclipse chasers have journeyed to the Southern Hemisphere to catch a short but dramatically thin "ring" eclipse of the Sun this weekend.
Comet 45P Returns to Dark Skies
With the Moon out of the picture, amateurs can once again check in on comet 45P/H-M-P, now making an appearance in the evening sky.
Green Comet 45P Makes Close Earth Flyby
Green-glowing 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova will make an unusually close pass by Earth on Saturday. Watch it boogie across the morning sky this week!
February's Deep Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
North American observers can watch the Moon flirt with Earth’s shadow on the evening of February 10th.
Tour February's Sky: How To Find Monoceros
Download our monthly astronomy podcast to spot Venus and Mars in the west — and a celestial unicorn hiding in plain sight among the stars.
Vesta, Brightest Asteroid, Now High Overhead
The asteroid 4 Vesta shines at 6th magnitude in January 2017, visible in Gemini with binoculars or a small telescope.
The Spotless Sun
The Sun has been unusually quiet lately. Since the start of 2017, only a single tiny sunspot has made a brief appearance on the solar disk.
Solar and Lunar Eclipses in 2017
It won't be a great year for lunar eclipses, with a deep penumbral event on February 11th and a partial on August 7th. But an annular solar eclipse is observable from the Southern Hemisphere on February 26th, and a total solar eclipse crosses the continental U.S. on August 21st.
Ultimate Guide to Meteor Showers in 2017
Everyone enjoys the brief and sometimes dazzling streaks of light from meteors, sometimes called "shooting stars." Sky & Telescope predicts that the two best meteor showers in 2017 will be the Quadrantids in early January and the Geminids in mid-December.
Tour January's Sky: Spot Two Star Clusters
Download our monthly astronomy podcast to spot Venus and Mars in the west — and two star clusters high up — after sunset.
Catch the Quadrantid Meteors (If You Can)
The Quadrantids, one of the year's best meteor showers, peaks on the morning of January 3rd, is. But be ready for it — most of the action takes place over just a few hours.
Mars Meets Neptune on New Year's Eve
Doing anything on New Year's Eve? Before you start toasting, don't miss an exceptionally close conjunction of Mars and Neptune.
