SUNSET: 
Sky at a Glance | September 16th, 2011
Bright Jupiter is up after dark and high by late evening. The Moon is waning now — leaving a dark sky for the persistent supernova in M101 off the Big Dipper's handle.
Sky at a Glance | September 8th, 2011
Jupiter is up high now by late evening. Mercury moves away from Regulus in the morning. And the supernova in M101 is now at its peak brightness!
Sky at a Glance | September 2nd, 2011
Jupiter is up big and bright by late evening. Mercury passes Regulus in the morning. And the supernova in M101 seems to nearing its peak!
Sky at a Glance | August 26th, 2011
Jupiter rises earlier and higher week by week. The crescent Moon returns low in twilight and occults a 2nd-magnitude star. And there's the new supernova in M101....
Sky at a Glance | August 19th, 2011
This week's moonless evenings offer deep-sky opportunities. Vesta is coming into earlier view. Jupiter still blazes high in the wee hours, but a half hour earlier each week.
Sky at a Glance | August 12th, 2011
Jupiter blazes high in the wee hours. Vesta is coming into earlier evening view. And watch Saturn an Spica sink from sight after sunset.
Sky at a Glance | August 5th, 2011
The Moon lines up with Saturn and Spica at dusk, then waxes across the evening sky for the rest of the week. Jupiter blazes high in the wee hours. And the bright asteroid Vesta — accompanied by NASA's DAWN spacecraft! — awaits viewing just past opposition.
Sky at a Glance | July 29th, 2011
Saturn and Spica sink to the sunset. Jupiter blazes high before dawn. And the bright asteroid Vesta — accompanied by NASA's DAWN spacecraft! — comes to opposition.
Sky at a Glance | July 22nd, 2011
Saturn is sinking at dusk, Jupiter is climbing ever higher in the early morning, and the bright asteroid Vesta — accompanied by NASA's DAWN spacecraft! — is nearing opposition.
Sky at a Glance | July 15th, 2011
Saturn is lowering in the southwest these evenings, while Jupiter is climbing ever higher before dawn. And Vesta in the middle of the night has reached 6th magnitude.
ALCon Meets Under Dark Mountain Skies
With bright stars all night and amateur-astronomical enthusiasm all day, America's biggest coalition of astronomy clubs held a bang-up annual convention.
Sky at a Glance | July 1st, 2011
Mercury is back at dusk, and so is the crescent Moon. Saturn and Porrima are pulling apart. And bright Jupiter climbs higher in the dawn.
Sky at a Glance | June 24th, 2011
The supernova in the Whirlpool Galaxy is peaking at magnitude 12.6. Saturn and Porrima are pulling apart after dusk. And a tiny asteroid skims right by Earth.
Sky at a Glance | June 17th, 2011
The supernova in the Whirlpool Galaxy is visible in a lot more telescopes now that it's up to magnitude 12.6. Saturn and Porrima remain close together after dusk. Jupiter is climbing into better view during dawn.
Sky at a Glance | June 10th, 2011
The gibbous Moon passes Saturn, Spica, and the head of Scorpius. Saturn and Porrima are still as close together as we'll see them. And Jupiter is climbing into better view during dawn.
Sky at a Glance | June 3rd, 2011
The waxing crescent Moon crosses Gemini in twilight. After dark, Saturn and Porrima now appear as close together in the south as we're going to see them. And Jupiter is climbing into better view during dawn.
Sky at a Glance | May 27th, 2011
Saturn and Porrima form a striking naked-eye "double star" in the south after dusk, with Spica to their lower left and Corvus below them. At dawn, the waning Moon passes the planet lineup low in the east.
Kepler's Exoplanets: A Progress Report
The Kepler exoplanet-hunting mission got top press-conference billing at the American Astronomical Society convention in Boston. But some reporters left wanting more.
Sky at a Glance | May 20th, 2011
The four planets dancing low in the dawn are spreading out and growing a little easier to see. In the evening sky, Saturn awaits your telescope from on high.
Sky at a Glance | May 13th, 2011
The four planets dancing low in the dawn are becoming a little easier to see before sunrise. In the evening sky, Saturn is now highest at a convenient hour.
