SUNSET: 
Asterisms for Winter Nights
Asterisms appeal to our playful side but also serve as key waypoints in the sky for identifying fainter stars and constellations.
Binoculars for Astronomy: Ultimate Guide to Selecting and Buying
Ordinary binoculars are your ideal "first telescope." And they're so versatile that even seasoned stargazers find them indispensable.
Earthshine, the Moon's Darker Side
Explore the Moon's dark side with the aid of earthshine.
Power and Aperture in Binoculars
They come in a wide range of apertures. But for astronomy, large aperture is only part of the story. High magnification is just as important when binoculars are used on a night sky that's not absolutely dark.
The 50 Best Sights in Astronomy
S&T contributing editor Fred Schaaf takes a new approach to an old subjecty by describing the 50 best astronomical sights of any kind, from naked-eye spectacles to objects that can only be seen through telescopes at high magnification.
Stargazing with Early Astronomer Galileo Galilei
When Galileo Galilei first turned a telescope to the heavens four centuries ago, he discovered amazing things — and you can follow in his footsteps.
Transparency and Atmospheric Extinction
Even when the air is perfectly clear, a significant fraction of starlight is lost in the atmosphere. And when there's a lot of haze or your target is close to the horizon, atmospheric extinction is a major problem.
Forecasting Haze
Here are links to some websites that can help you predict where and when you'll get good transparency for deep-sky observing.
How to Make a Star Wheel the Simple Way
Would you like to be able to navigate your way around the night sky with confidence? Using this simple, easy-to-make Star Wheel, you can "dial the sky" for any time or date.
Make a Star Clock!
A quick download, some scissors, and a paper fastener are all it takes to use the stars to tell time.
Stargazing, Family Style
Exploring the night sky is a fun activity for kids of all ages — and it doesn’t require a lot of planning or equipment.
How to Make a Sundial the Simple Way
Sundials are amazingly simple yet effective devices. They range from sticks planted in the ground to precision-machined marvels costing thousands of dollars. The design shown here can be constructed in minutes from materials lying around your house, but it's surprisingly accurate.
Party with the Stars
Want to gaze at the Milky Way all night or peer into the eyepiece of a 12-foot-tall telescope? Then escape the city lights and head for the nearest “star party.”
Constellation Names and Abbreviations
Here's all the essential information about the 88 constellations.
The Greek Alphabet
Here's a handy guide to the Greek letters that are used on star charts.
How to Align Your Newtonian Reflector Telescope
Accurate optical alignment is neither difficult, mysterious, nor time-consuming. In fact, it's only three steps away.
The Observatories of Sky & Telescope
The backyard observatories of our editorial staff run the gamut from the elegantly simple to the luxuriously complete.
Our Stairway to the Stars
Ever since we first became serious about astronomy more than 20 years ago, we dreamed of having our own backyard observatory.
Think Big (and Small)
My current observatory is a multilevel structure. It began as a plan to mount my telescopes on the roof of a small barn on the property.
How to Successfully Beat Atmospheric Seeing
"Seeing" — the atmospheric quivering that fuzzes out high-power views — is the bane of every telescope user. Here's how to minimize its impact.
