SUNSET: 
A Night to Howl at the Moon
You can gawk, study, sketch, image, or just howl. No matter how you do it, head outside on October 12th to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night.
The Quest for Zodiacal Light
The first half of October 2013 is a good chance for early risers to catch the zodiacal light, the faint eastern glow preceding dawn.
Tour October's Sky! | October 1st, 2013
Venus blazes low in the west at sunset, while Jupiter rules the late-night sky. This month also features a penumbral lunar eclipse, a minor meteor shower, and the Great Worldwide Star Count.
Equinox Arrives September 22nd
Although many of us are already seeing seasonal changes, autumn for the Northern Hemisphere officially begins on Sunday, September 22nd, at 20:44 Universal Time. But why is the time of the equinox so specific? S&T's editors explain.
Comet ISON Preview (Video)
S&T senior editor Alan MacRobert tells you what you need to know to get ready for Comet ISON.
Crescent Moon and Venus Put on a Show
Keep an eye to the early-evening sky on Sunday, September 8th. You'll be rewarded with a stunning pairing of a thin crescent Moon next to dazzling Venus.
LADEE Leaves for Luna
NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer left Earth on Friday night — an event widely seen up and down the East Coast — on a mission to solve a 45-year-old mystery.
Tour September's Sky! | August 21st, 2013
Dazzling Venus, low in the west after sunset, has close encounters with a moon, a planet, and a star. Meanwhile, the Summer Triangle is high overhead.
Nova Delphini 2013
Nova Delphini 2013 was discovered on August 14th, peaked two days later at magnitude 4.4, and by early November was down to magnitude 11.
Get Ready for the 2013 Perseids
Plan to be up late on the nights of August 11-12 and 12-13. Weather permitting, that's when Perseid meteors will flash across virtually Moonless skies.
Bright supernova in M74
An exploding star in the galaxy M74 in Pisces, discovered on July 25th, peaked at magnitude 12.5 in mid-August and was still V magnitude 13.2 as of September 5th.
Tour August's Sky! | July 26th, 2013
This month is famous for the Perseid meteor shower, which arrives like clockwork on the 12th and 13th. It's also the best time of year to see the beautiful Milky Way arching overhead in early evening.
Catch a "Shooting Star"
The Delta Aquariid meteor shower ramps up in late July, and you already have everything needed to enjoy the show: your eyes.
Moon Occults Spica
On the evening of July 15th the Moon will occult Spica as seen from parts of the Pacific and the Americas. But even if you're not one of the lucky few with the right view, you can enjoy the pair's pirouette.
The Ultimate New-Moon Sighting
A French astrophotographer used luck and some special gear to capture a razor-thin lunar crescent precisely at the moment of New Moon on July 8th.
Now Playing: A Huge Sunspot Group
Cycle 24 hasn't offered much in the way of solar fireworks, but right now a large group of sunspots is front and center on the Sun's disk for your viewing enjoyment.
June 2013 Assessment of Comet ISON
The “comet of the century” was stuck at 16th magnitude when it hid out for the summer. Still, good prospects remain for December. Expect the next update in early September, when the comet reappears from behind the glare of the Sun.
Tour June's Sky! | May 31st, 2013
Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury crowd together low in the west right after sunset, while Saturn is sandwiched high in the south between the constellations Libra and Virgo.
Biggish Asteroid 1998 QE2 Pays Earth a Visit
This week's visit by asteroid 1998 QE2 is just a courtesy call, as it passes by on May 31st at 15 times the Moon's distance. A NASA radar team has already discovered that this big space rock has a sizable companion.
