SUNSET: 
A Double Black Hole?
Strange emission from a distant galaxy paints an enigmatic picture of what’s happening inside its core. One solution: instead of one supermassive black hole, the galaxy hosts two trapped in a tight dance around each other.
New View of Saturn's Hexagon
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has captured phenomenal images of the gigantic weather system at Saturn's north pole. This so-called "hexagon" is nearly three times wider than Earth is.
An Outburst of Andromedid Meteors
Astronomers report that a nearly forgotten meteor shower — famous for its prodigious "storm" in 1872 but long since inactive — has displayed surprising activity.
Geminid Meteors to Pierce the Moonlight
Bits of rock from a fried asteroid flash across the night sky in the mid-December sky — but bright moonlight will diminish the performance.
Tour Chile with S&T!
Join Sky & Telescope as we travel to Chile, the "astronomy capital of the world." From March 27th to April 4th, 2014, we'll visit world-class observatories, see breathtaking landscapes, and observe in crystal-clear night skies.
Lovely Comet Lovejoy
Comet ISON has come and gone, but lovely Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) is still going strong. It is now at or near peak brightness, and well placed in the Northern Hemisphere's predawn sky.
Naked-Eye Nova in Centaurus
A new star near Alpha and Beta Centauri peaked at about magnitude 3.6 on December 5th, faded, re-peaked ten days later, and has been bumping around oddly since.
So It Ends for Comet ISON
After more than a year of anticipation, there is no dazzle, only a dud.
China Launches Lunar Mission
If all goes well, on December 14th the Moon will host its first soft-landing spacecraft since 1976.
Triple Collision in Infant Galaxy
A complex of three bright, star-forming clumps called Himiko is merging in the early universe. With its light reaching us from when the universe was only 800 million years old, this primordial galaxy could yield insight into the elusive process of early galaxy formation.
Tour December's Sky! | December 1st, 2013
December's crystal-clear skies offer Venus low in the west after sunset, a “tower of brilliance” (including Jupiter) rising in the east, and the prospect of a nice showing by Comet ISON in the predawn sky early in the month.
Latest Updates on Comet ISON
Only a dim, fading, dispersing cloud of dust remains of the once grand Comet ISON. Nothing will be visible in the December dawns. Skilled electronic imagers and the Hubble Space Telescope may or may not detect the last trace when it enters a dark sky in mid-December.
Downsizing a Black Hole
Astronomers have revealed a supposedly monster black hole to be rather ordinary in size.
Oddball Pulsar Origin?
A few whirling neutron stars might get their start as very different objects, at least if a new analysis is correct.
Comet ISON Becomes a Nail-Biter
Is the comet dying, just three days before its closest pass by the Sun? There are signs that its nucleus has stopped producing anything.
Can You Spot Comet ISON at Perihelion?
It won't be easy by a long shot, but it just might be possible to spot the comet in broad daylight as it passes nearest the Sun.
Monster Burst Challenges Theories
Observations of one of the most powerful supernovas ever recorded suggest that the standard model for gamma-ray bursts might be missing a piece of the puzzle.
Cassiopeia A in 3D
Explore a supernova remnant with this fun interactive simulation, created from detailed space- and ground-based observations in multiple wavelengths.
Comet ISON Diving Sunward as its Moment of Truth Nears
Tiny, greenish white, and harder to see every day, Comet ISON is descending toward the sunrise horizon and its November 28th perihelion.
Arizona Astronomy & Science Expo
New gear, hands-on demos, and renowned speakers awaited visitors to last weekend's astronomy expo in Tucson, Arizona.
