SUNSET: 
ESO Celebrates Its History and Future
On October 5th, the European Southern Observatory and the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder will broadcast live webcasts to celebrate years gone by and new beginnings.
Comet Hergenrother Puts on a Show
Astronomers predicted that Comet 168P/Hergenrother wouldn't get any brighter than 15th magnitude this month. But the comet had other ideas: an ongoing outburst has brightened it to within reach of medium-size backyard telescopes.
Star Zips around Milky Way's Central Black Hole
Astronomers announced that they've successfully tracked a star that takes less than 12 years to whip around the Milky Way's central black hole. The star isn't so special on its own, but combined with other observations it might help unwrap the region's mysteries.
Big Meteoroid Boomerangs Around Earth
Late on September 21st, a bright fireball broke apart as it skimmed the atmosphere over northwestern Europe — then it became a temporary satellite, looping completely around the planet before its searing finale over eastern North America.
Curiosity Finds Ancient Streambed
NASA's newest rover has found strong evidence near its landing site inside Gale crater that vigorous steams of liquid water once flowed across the Martian surface.
A "Dream Comet" Heading Our Way?
Veteran skywatchers are trying to contain their enthusiasm for Comet ISON, which, late in 2013, could become the brightest comet in decades.
Astronomers Approach Black Hole
The Event Horizon Telescope team has unmasked the heart of the jet-shooting galaxy M87, paving the way for astronomers to discover how black holes create their superpowered streamers.
A Black Hole in Orion?
The Orion Nebula Cluster might be home to a black hole more than 100 times the mass of the Sun, according to a recent simulation.
Hubble Goes Deep — eXtremely Deep
The Hubble Space Telescope's newest deep space image reveals 5,500 galaxies in a tiny, dark patch of sky in the constellation Fornax.
Much Ado at Mars
It's a great time to be a Red Planet researcher. Right now three orbiters and two rovers — including the increasingly mobile Curiosity — are checking out Earth's planetary neighbor from very close range.
Pluto's Fake Moon
Astronomers think a small body in the Kuiper Belt might be temporarily spiraling around Pluto — well, that's what it would look like if you were standing on Pluto, anyway.
Sky & Telescope December 2012
Sky & Telescope's December 2012 issue is now available to digital subscribers. Some print subscribers may have already received it, and it's officially on-sale at newsstands starting November 6th.
Sky & Telescope November 2012
Sky & Telescope's November 2012 issue is now available to digital subscribers. Some print subscribers may have already received it, and it's officially on-sale at newsstands starting October 2nd.
Four Mammoth Cameras Take On the Sky
The Dark Energy Camera is one of four new cameras that started taking images of big chunks of the night sky this past month.
Big Breakout on Jupiter
One of the big planet's iconic dark belts has been roiling with activity, rewarding observers with the most dramatic eruptions there since 1926.
Uranus's Rare Close Encounter
The planet Uranus is spectacularly close to an almost identically bright star throughout late September.
Milky Way Blew Bubbles
A careful analysis of Planck observations shows that there really is a mysterious haze emanating from the Milky Way’s core, mission team members say.
Sharpest Ever Images of the Sun
Astronomers at Big Bear Solar Observatory in sunny California have upgraded their 1.6-meter telescope with a new adaptive optics system. The scope is now producing the highest-resolution images ever taken of the Sun.
Help Uwingu Make a Difference in Space
Uwingu, a small start-up company, wants to change the way science educators, astronomers, and space researchers do business.
Bright Fireball Spotted Near Jupiter
Amateur astronomers have spotted a brief flare of light on Jupiter, the third such explosion in as many years. The impactor was too small to penetrate deeply enough into the Jovian upper atmosphere, and no impact "scar" has been seen.
