Tour March's Sky! | February 27th, 2009
Where in the sky will you find the ringed planet Saturn and a pair of cosmic twins? You'll spot them easily if you download our guided audio tour of the March evening sky.
Tour January's Sky! | January 2nd, 2009
What's that brilliant beacon in the southwestern evening sky — a supernova? a UFO? Nope, it's Venus, this winter's dazzling "evening star." Learn more about Venus and other celestial showpieces by downloading our monthly guide to the night sky!
Eclipses in 2009
Get ready for the total solar eclipse of the century — along with a hard-to-reach annular eclipse and a handful of modest lunar eclipses that take place during the International Year of Astronomy.
Meteor Showers in 2009
Sky & Telescope predicts that 2009's best meteor showers should be the Quadrantids, Orionids, and Geminids — with the added possibility of a spectacular outburst from the Leonids in mid-November.
Will the Leonids Roar Again?
Anyone who remembers the spectacular displays of Leonid meteors in 1999–2002 would surely love to see them again. Good news! Theorists predict that the Leonids might be back for a modest encore in mid-November 2009.
Catch Ceres at Its Closest
Ceres, the biggest asteroid and the first to be discovered, has an extraordinary good apparition in February and March 2009.
Tour December's Sky! | November 30th, 2008
After listening to this podcast, you'll have no trouble spotting Venus, Jupiter, the Pleiades star cluster, and much more in the evening sky! Host: S&T's Kelly Beatty. (5MB MP3 download: running time: 5m 47s)
The "Venus & Jupiter" Show
At the end of November and the beginning of December, the two brightest planets perform a dazzling dance in the evening twilight. On December 1st they're joined by the slender crescent Moon, which makes for a pretty trio in the Americas — and which will cover Venus in spectacular fashion for lucky skywatchers in Europe.
Catch Venus with a "Moon"
On Monday, November 17th, Venus passes very close to the 2.8-magnitude star Lambda Sagittarii (Kaus Borealis). Through a telescope, Lambda appears next to Venus very much like one of the Galilean Moons next to Jupiter.
Tour November's Sky! | November 6th, 2008
With the return of standard time in the Northern Hemisphere, evenings arrive much sooner than they did just a few weeks ago. That makes it a snap to get in some quick stargazing before dinnertime.
View Vesta at Its Brightest
Vesta, the brightest asteroid, is easy to observe during the last three months of 2008.
Count the Stars to Save the Sky
Schoolchildren, families, and citizen scientists around the world will gaze skyward after dark from October 20th to November 3rd. The Great World Wide Star Count, now in its second year, helps scientists map light pollution globally while educating participants about the stars.
Meteor Strike Forecast for Oct. 6-7
Many telescopes around the world are looking for asteroids that might potentially hit Earth. Every candidate has turned out to be a false alarm — until now!
Moon Crosses the Pleiades
On Friday night, September 19–20, observers in northeastern North America, eastern Canada, and western Europe have a fine chance to watch the Moon cover up stars in the Pleiades.
Venus Meets Mars
From September 9th through the 15th, Mars and Venus are closely paired low in the west-southwest just after sunset — fitting together easily in the same medium-power telescopic field for most of that time.
Tour September's Sky! | September 1st, 2008
Summer's over, and cooler nights offer your eyes a rich tapestry of stars and planets for casual skygazing.
Venus Returns
Earth's sister planet has emerged from behind the Sun for a low evening apparition. See how early you can spot it in the twilight.
Dodge the Moon, See More Perseids
Mark your calendar for a meteor watch on the morning of Tuesday, August 12th.
Solar Eclipse Reports and Pix
From near the North Pole down to Siberia and China, thousands of travelers watched the August 1st total eclipse of the Sun. Meanwhile, millions more across Europe and Asia made the most of their partial eclipse.
Tour August's Sky! | July 29th, 2008
Download this month's podcast to take a guided tour of evening sky sights — and learn what the Moon has in common with a Ping-Pong ball! Host: S&T's Kelly Beatty.