SUNSET: 
Celestial Omens
Go out at dusk to see Venus and the crescent Moon pair up. It is always a sight to behold when the brightest objects in the evening sky get together.
Life with a Red Dwarf
The commonest stars in the universe aren't very Sun-like — but they could still have life-bearing planets. However, those worlds aren't like anything you've ever seen. Imagine a home world where half of the planet basks in eternal day, the other cloaked in eternal night.
An Ancient Building Block of Life
Astronomers have long assumed that carbon-based molecules — essential for life as we know it — were among the building blocks of our solar system. Now they have the evidence to back their claims. The smoking gun came from measurements of the famed Tagish Lake meteorite.
A Reason to Rise
Most of us consider weekends a time for sleeping in, but skywatchers who get up before the Sun are presently in for a treat. A trio of planets will dance with the bright star Antares, and on the mornings of the 17th and 18th there will be a guest appearance by the waning crescent Moon. The performance is free, but clear skies and an unobstructed southeastern horizon are required.
Aurora Watch!
Talk about a red-letter night for astronomy. Not only are Geminid meteors still raining down from the skies, there is a major aurora alert in effect for Thursday and Friday. No telescope needed. Just get outside and look up.
Night Sky Magazine to Cease Publication
Sky Publishing has decided to stop producing Night Sky, its bimonthly magazine for beginning amateur astronomers. The March/April 2007 issue will be the last.
Best Meteor Shower of 2006
With only minor interference from the Moon, the Geminids should put on a great display late Wednesday night and Thursday morning. What's more, a major solar flare just erupted, providing a strong chance for a tremendous northern lights show on Thursday or Friday.
Flowing Mud on Today's Mars?
Newly released images from Mars Global Surveyor strongly suggest that liquid water could be flowing across the surface of Mars right now.
Meade Steps into the Sunshine
Telescope giant Meade Instruments will acquire Coronado Technology Group, the leading manufacturer of hydrogen-alpha filters and telescopes for solar observing.
Long Island Gets a Big Scope
A nonprofit group has purchased a research-grade telescope for a planned public observatory in a dark-sky site.
Tour August's Evening Sky in 2006
Download this MP3 file to your iPod or other handheld device, and you'll be guided to Jupiter, the constellation Scorpius, the Milky Way, and more! You'll also get tips on when and how to watch the Perseid meteor shower. (5.5MB file; hosted by Kelly Beatty, editor of Night Sky magazine.)
Tour July's Evening Sky In 2006
Track down dazzling Jupiter and the trio of bright stars that comprise the Summer Triangle. (4MB MP3 file; hosted by Kelly Beatty, editor of Night Sky magazine.)
A Millennium Ahead of Its Time
An international team of scientists has found that an ancient Greek astronomical computer is far more complex than scholars had realized.
Ceres: The Wet Look
Mounting evidence suggests that the largest asteroid is hiding a large cache of water ice beneath its surface.
Plethora of Puffy Planets
Astronomers have confirmed 14 exoplanets that transit their host stars. All of these worlds orbit their suns at very close distances, and thus are heated to high temperatures. Strangely, however, a bevy of these bodies are much less massive than they should be. Astronomers are trying to find out why.
Mercury and Mars at Dawn
Rise and shine! Fleeting Mercury will be highest above the southeastern horizon Sunday morning — your best chance to see it until February. It joins Mars in a predawn appearance.
Hubble Confirms a Cosmic Jerk
Astronomers have confirmed the presence of dark energy in the universe 9 billion years ago by imaging a slew of galaxies before and after supernovae exploded.
Comet SWAN Still Glows After Dusk
Comet SWAN remains a nice but fading target for telescopes in early evening. Follow it using our chart.
Titan: Assembling the Puzzle
Since it arrived at the ringed planet, NASA's Cassini orbiter has flown past Saturn's cloud-enshrouded moon Titan nearly two dozen times. And with each encounter, scientists come closer to piecing together the complex story of the Saturnian system's largest satellite.
Beautiful Universe 2007 Photo Contest Winners
Out of the hundreds of entries sent to Sky & Telescope, the following represent the best of the best. Click through to see the first-, second-, and third-place winners in each of our nine categories — as well as each of the Readers' Choice Award winners. And a special congratulations…
