SUNSET: 
Sky Highlights of 2008
Eclipses, occultations, conjunctions, and meteor showers — there's no shortage of celestial action in 2008.
A Gamma-Ray Burst Out of Nowhere
Astronomers are mystified by a gamma-ray burst without a host galaxy.
Fred Hess: Evangelist for Astronomy
How do amateur astronomers get made? Countless numbers of them were started on their way by this booming-voiced figure from New York's Hayden Planetarium.
New Astro Radio and Podcasts
Improve your mind with some science-related audio.
Deep Impact's New Assignments
Put to sleep after its smash success in 2005, one of NASA's interplanetary craft is getting a chance to search for extrasolar Earths and to visit a second comet.
Earth's Magnetosphere: On the Ropes
A constellation of five identical orbiting probes has detected skirmishes with the solar wind along Earth's magnetospheric front lines.
You Can't Go Home (or Work) Again
Visiting where I worked 20 years ago reveals a changed place.
Thirty Meter Telescope Moves Ahead
Thanks to a just-announced commitment of $300 million, astronomers and engineers can get ready to build the Thirty Meter Telescope — far larger than any other telescope on Earth.
The Other Bright Comet of 2007-08
Comet 8P/Tuttle is now near its peak. Although nowhere near Comet Holmes in total brightness, its light is concentrated in a much smaller area, making it considerably more prominent when viewed from typical suburban locations.
Dust in a Hot Jupiter's Atmosphere
Precise measures by Hubble indicate that a roasting "hot Jupiter" close to its star has an atmosphere thick with dust.
200 Million Objects Shining in Hydrogen
A new sky survey is seeing the universe in a new way.
Saturn's Sci-Fi Moons
Just when you thought you'd seen everything the ringed planet has to offer, the Cassini orbiter glimpses bizarre little moons shaped like flying saucers.
Results from Hinode:
Sunrise on Coronal Heating
Thanks to sharp new movies of details on the Sun, researchers are resolving two of its surprisingly complex mysteries.
The Geminids Are Coming
The best time to view the 2007 Geminid meteor shower from North America is the night of December 13–14, with good prospects the following night as well. In Asia, December 14–15 should be better, and in Europe, it’s a tossup between the two.
My Kind of Beauty Contest!
What's the most beautiful image taken by the Cassini spacecraft since it arrived at Saturn? Vote for your favorite today!
Lightning on Venus
The world next door seemed hellish enough with an atmosphere 90 times the sea-level pressure on Earth and surface temperature of 900°. Now, scientists say, there's lots of lightning — and what little water it has seems to be escaping to space.
Observe Mars Tonight!
Mars now appears bigger through a telescope than it will again until 2016.
December's Audio Guide to the Heavens
You'll have an easy time spotting Orion leaping up into the sky — with dazzling Mars at his side — if you download this podcast to your MP3 player and head outdoors after dark.
Like Chocolate in Your Peanut Butter
When two great things come together. . .
Saturn in the Morning
The ringed planet is at its highest in the sky shortly before dawn in December. And the early-morning sky is full of other marvels, too.
