SOHO: World's Greatest Comet Finder
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, a spacecraft that's spent 15 years staring at the Sun, recently recorded its 2,000th comet.
Saturn's New Bright Storm
A massive new storm in the ringed planet's northern hemisphere is bright enough to see in small telescopes.
Meteor Showers in 2011
Sky & Telescope predicts that 2011's best meteor showers should be the Quadrantids in January and — maybe — an unusual outburst by the normally meek Draconids in October.
Help for New Scope Owners
Thousands of telescopes are given and received as gifts during the holidays. But once you've assembled your new treasure, then what? The editors of Sky & Telescope have created a special section of easy-to-grasp introductory skywatching articles just for you!
Quadrantid Meteors: Fire over Ice
Early January brings frigid northern weather — and one of the year's very best meteor showers.
Bright Prospects for Comet Elenin?
A newfound visitor from the solar system's icy fringe could brighten a millionfold by mid-September 2011 and become a pretty sight in the predawn sky.
February Digital Edition Available
The digital edition of the February 2011 S&T is now available.
Are You Smarter Than a Computer?
If you think you can spot evidence for an extrasolar planet in this light curve, then a new "citizen-science" effort wants your help.
Solstice Eclipse
Winter in the Northern Hemisphere was heralded by a glorious total lunar eclipse.
The Strange Tails of Asteroid Scheila
What caused a largish, well-behaved main-belt asteroid to suddenly brighten and spew a cloud of debris into space?
Night Lights Worsen Smog
New research shows that a sea of nighttime lights plays a role in making the smoggy air over Los Angeles even dirtier than it should be.
Carbon is King on a Hot Jupiter
Infrared observations of the close-orbiting exoplanet WASP-12b show that its atmosphere is surprisingly rich in carbon-bearing gases yet contains very little water vapor.
Three Low-Cost Telescopes
Our review of three high-quality $100 telescopes is now available for free online, complete with audio and video supplements.
Making Sense of Saturn's Rings
Did a doomed moon the size of Titan edge too close to Saturn, break apart, and give the planet its resplendent ring system?
Draw Some Bubbles, Help Astronomy
A fun and colorful new citizen-science effort has been launched to spot and flag star-forming regions throughout our galaxy.
Telescopes: Guides & Recommendations
Three Great, Small Reflectors
Orion Telescopes & Binoculars's XT4.5 and StarBlast 4.5 and Edmund Scientific's Astroscan set the standard of excellence for small, inexpensive, easy-to-use telescopes.
A Sky-High Lunar Eclipse
For all of North America, the full Moon has a total eclipse high overhead late on the night of December 20-21.
It's Geminid Time!
What many skywatchers consider the year's richest and most reliable meteor shower peaks this year on the morning of December 14th.
Japan's Akatsuki Goes AWOL
A spacecraft that was supposed to slip into orbit around Venus for a two-year study of its atmosphere has instead flown right by — and won't be back for another 7 years.
Revival on Jupiter Continues
The King of Planets was missing one of its signature dark belts last February, but it's gradually returning to view.
