SUNSET: 
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 9 – 16
Mars, just past opposition, remains bright as it aligns between Aldebaran and Capella. Jupiter shines highest after dusk. And watch for the Geminid meteors.
Observing Report: Moon Occults Mars
Sky & Telescope editors report their observations of last night's celestial event: Mars grazing or disappearing behind the Moon.
Tsunamis Carried Boulders Across Ancient Martian Ocean
Long-ago impacts tossed up the floors of an ancient ocean on the Red Planet and carried debris to the landing site of NASA’s Viking 1 lander.
Mars Mesmerizes at Opposition
It may not be the closest opposition, but this time around Mars arcs high across the sky where good seeing promises sharp views. That's not all. On December 7th, one night before opposition, the full Moon occults the Red Planet!
Gamma-ray Burst Surprise
Gamma-ray bursts are generally thought to come in two flavors — supernovae or neutron star mergers. But new discoveries are blurring that line.
Apollo 17 in Pictures: “God Willing, as We Shall Return”
On the 50th anniversary of Apollo 17, we look back at iconic photos as well as rarely seen images from the mission.
Status Update: Artemis 1’s CubeSat Missions
Some of the small missions deployed from Artemis 1 will go on to do great things, while others remain silent.
Webb Telescope Surveys a Hot Saturn
A collection of five research studies delve into the atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-39b as astronomers seek to better understand the chemistry of a world beyond the solar system.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 2 – 10
Mars is at opposition this week. And on opposition night December 7-8, Mars is occulted by the perfectly full Moon. Orion enters stage east earlier and earlier, the Summer Triangle sinks west, and Jupiter reigns on high.
New Images Track Clouds on Saturn's Largest Moon
Brand-new images from the James Webb Space Telescope and the Keck Observatory in Hawai'i reveal clouds beneath the haze on this enshrouded moon.
December: Mars in the Spotlight
December's solstice means that for many skywatchers the night will be up to 14 hours long — providing lots of time to enjoy the starry sky. This month’s celestial highlights are the close approach of the Moon and Mars (and, for many, a coverup) on December 7th and the Gemind meteor shower on the December 13th. Our fun and factual Sky Tour podcast provides all the details.
Four Stars, Many Eclipses
Stars are most often born as multiples. Now, the TESS telescope has caught one of these multiple systems in a unique setup.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 25 – December 3
Mars is closest to Earth this week, closer and brighter than we'll see it again until 2033. By late evening it's high overhead in excellent telescopic view.
X-rays Offer View Inside the Black Hole-Powered Plasma Guns
Polarized X-rays are helping astronomers take a closer look at blazars’ “plasma guns,” the particle jets powered by supermassive black holes.
A Celebration of Jay Pasachoff (1943–2022)
Jay M. Pasachoff, Chair of the Astronomy Department, Director of the Hopkins Observatory, and Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, succumbed to cancer on Sunday morning, November 20th.
A Supernova Hits a Cosmic Speed Bump
Why did a supernova abruptly change color? A recent study suggests a change in ejecta velocity — a cosmic speed bump — might be the culprit.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 18 – 26
Orion works its way up from behind the horizon after dinnertime and stands high by late evening. Big bright Jupiter and Mars dominate the sky. Jupiter is under the Great Square; Mars is in the horns of Taurus.
Webb Telescope Reveals Starbirth in a Riot of Colors
A riot of colors in this James Webb Space Telescope infrared image show the warm glow of a feeding infant star, representing a look back in time at a star very like the Sun.
Sneak Peek at Two Promising Comets
Ready to chase comets? We look at two fuzzy solar system travelers that will keep you on your toes all fall and winter long.
BlueWalker 3 Satellite Unfolds, Brightening 40-fold
The unfolding of the BlueWalker 3's giant flat-panel antenna array resulted in a satellite 40 times as bright, outshining most stars.
