SUNSET: 
Do You Love the Stars? Do Some Astronomy This Valentine's Day
Whether you're celebrating Valentine's Day or boycotting it, anyone visiting this site loves the stars. Here's a chance to participate in an effort to make sure future generations love them too.
Watch the Moon Occult Mars Before Sunrise on February 18th
Occultations of stars by the Moon occur routinely, but planetary lunar occultations are much rarer birds. That's why I hope you'll make the effort Tuesday morning February 18th to watch the waning crescent Moon occult the planet Mars.
Parker Solar Probe Releases New Details on Solar Wind
Scientists release a bevy of results from the Parker Solar Probe's first two passes near the Sun, including new details on so-called "rogue waves" in the solar wind.
A Detailed View of Our Second Interstellar Visitor
What do we know about the second object to visit us from another stellar system? Detailed Hubble images have given us plenty to consider!
New Solar Orbiter Mission Launches Successfully
The Solar Orbiter mission took to the skies Sunday evening and will join ongoing efforts to understand our host star.
Pluto's Icy Heart "Beats," Driving Planet-Scale Winds
New computer simulations suggest that the "beating" of Pluto's frozen heart drives weak winds on this remote world in the outer solar system.
The 2020 Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award Goes To Dennis Conti
Each year, the American Astronomical Society confers the Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award for significant astronomical research carried out by an amateur astronomer. This year the award goes to Dennis Conti of the AAVSO.
Catch the Full Moon High in the Sky for Telescope Treats
A nearly full Moon offers plenty to see and ponder.
Faint Repetitions of an Extragalactic Burst
New evidence deepens the mystery of fast radio bursts (FRBs), the brief flashes of radio emission stemming from unknown sources beyond our galaxy.
Flapping "Bat Wing" Could Reveal Secrets of Planet Formation
The shadow cast by a protoplanetary disk takes the shape of a bat — and over time, flaps like one, too. The eery shadow could help astronomers understand the planet-forming material inside the disk.
February 2020: Five Planets & More!
If you drag yourself outside before dawn and then wait until after sunset, you can spot all five of the naked-eye planets. And the Winter Hexagon glides high in the evening sky.
Spitzer's Legacy: One of NASA's Great Observatories Ends Its Mission
NASA’s premier eye on the infrared sky is shutting down after operating more than three times longer than designed.
White Dwarf’s Whirlwind Spin Drags Spacetime
Astronomers have used observations of a tight white dwarf-neutron star pair to confirm an aspect of Einstein's general theory of relativity.
First Light from the World's Largest Solar Telescope
The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope has taken its first image of the Sun, a detailed view of our star's boiling gases that far surpasses what was possible before. Science operations are set to begin later this year.
The Latest on Betelgeuse, Plus a Bright Supernova and New Comet Iwamoto
The sky provides. This winter, the fading of Betelgeuse caught us all by surprise. Now, as January wraps up, we can add a new comet discovery and a supernova bright enough to see in a 6-inch telescope to an ever-growing list of seasonal sky wonders.
SpaceX Launches Fourth Starlink Batch; Concerns Remain
Concerns about the night sky remain as the fourth batch of Starlink satellites — and the second one to be launched within the span of a month — takes flight.
Nearby Stellar Nurseries Ride a Giant Wave
Astronomers have found a gigantic, undulating wave of stellar nurseries in our galaxy, just outside the Sun’s orbit in the spiral disk.
Superluminous Supernova, Explained?
Some brilliant explosions at least 10 times more powerful than regular supernovae might come from a white dwarf merging with a massive companion star. But not everyone agrees on that explanation.
See Ancient “North Stars" Eclipse Each Other
The ancient pole star known as Thuban turns out to be an eclipsing binary. If you're up for a challenge, you can see the eclipses for yourself.
A Quick Tour of Orion, the Hunter
The evening sky this week presents a near perfect opportunity to explore winter's marquee constellation, Orion, with binoculars or a small telescope.
