SUNSET: 
Top Astronomy News Stories of 2020
This has been a year rocked by a global pandemic that has left its mark on nearly every aspect of society. Wildfires, social unrest, and loss have only added to our sense of struggle. Yet it has also been a year of celestial wonders, astronomical discoveries, and space successes. We…
The Best Meteor Showers in 2021
Sky & Telescope predicts that the year's best meteor shower will be the strong, fireball-rich Perseids in mid-August.
Watch the Moon Journey Across the Winter Hexagon
About once a month this winter, we can watch the Moon take a four-day journey across a field of stars termed the "Winter Hexagon."
What to See with Your New Telescope
Maybe you just got a shiny new telescope. Awaiting you are stupendous, faraway things in the night sky. Surely you're itching to try it out....
Meet Aldebaran, the Bull’s Eye
Learn more about Aldebaran, the red-orange giant star that "follows" the Pleiades across the sky.
Will the Next Solar Cycle Surprise Us?
The coming months will test a new prediction that — contrary to most expectations — forecasts one of the strongest sunspot cycles on record.
Jupiter and Saturn Embrace in Solstice Conjunction
Jupiter and Saturn fashion the Great Conjunction of 2020 when they pair up on December 21st, the winter solstice. That evening they'll be closest in nearly 400 years.
The 400-Year Rhythm of Great Conjunctions
A new visualization reveals the centuries-long pattern of "Great Conjunctions" between Jupiter and Saturn over the centuries.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Chang'e 5's Lunar Sample Arrives on Earth
China’s Chang’e 5 lunar sample-return capsule has arrived safely on Earth.
Ancient Babylonians Witnessed Unique Planetary Gathering
Jupiter and Saturn's "Great Conjunction" is a noteworthy event, but on the morning of March 25, 185 BC, an even grander planetary gathering greeted Babylonian sky watchers
Astronomers Find Most Distant Gamma-ray Burst Yet
From the farthest-known galaxy in the observable universe comes the brightest and most energetic of events: a possible gamma-ray burst.
Totality Reports from South America
Remote locations, rainy weather, and even a pandemic couldn't keep diehard observers from viewing December 14th's total solar eclipse.
Survey Finds Newborn Black Hole Jets in Distant Galaxies
Astronomers have spotted a surprising number of quasars with jets launched within a couple of decades.
A South American Total Eclipse
The Moon’s shadow visits Chile and Argentina again. If you can't be there, watch online!
Astronomers Discover Galactic “Fossil” Inside the Milky Way
Thousands of stars that once belonged to an ancient galaxy are inside our own.
A Dark Matter-less Galaxy, Explained (Maybe)
An international team of astronomers has explained the lack of dark matter in a distant dwarf galaxy — another galaxy stole it.
A Banner Year for the Geminid Meteor Shower
With no Moon to brighten the night, this year's rich Geminid meteor shower should be one of the best ever. Find a spot away from city lights, dress warmly, and don't forget the hot chocolate.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Hayabusa 2 Returns Sample of Asteroid Ryugu to Earth
The predawn operation to recover the Hayabusa 2 sample-return capsule in the Australian Outback was a success.
Gaia Makes Most Accurate 3D Map of the Milky Way Yet
Astronomers have released a new, extremely detailed three-dimensional census of our Milky Way galaxy.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
China's Chang'e 5 Collects Samples, Departs from the Moon
China's Chang’e-5 ascent vehicle has departed Oceanus Procellarum with pieces of lunar soil after a lightning-quick sample collection.
