SUNSET: 
Time In the Sky and the Amateur Astronomer
While civil time is based on official edit, the celestial clockwork follows its own rhythms.
Choosing Your Astronomy Equipment
Observing from the City
With the stars increasing being lost amid the light pollution of our urban areas, is there no hope for an astronomer in the city? Fortunately, there's still a lot of observing that can be done.
How do I clean eyepiece lenses?
Very carefully — and not often! Here are some tips to help you keep your optics clean.
An Observatory with Sails
After working at Sky & Telescope for nearly a decade I got the chance to build the observatory I'd always wanted.
DIY: Astronomy Projects & Guidance
DIY Dew Heater
With just a little electrical know-how you can make an antidew heater that suits your scope.
R and T Coronae Borealis: Two Stellar Opposites
One is usually bright but fades unexpectedly; one is almost always faint but brightens unexpectedly. Check them out with binoculars.
DIY: Astronomy Projects & Guidance
Accurate Polar Alignment with Your Telescope
Long-exposure astrophotography requires an accurately aligned equatorial mount.
A Pupil Primer: How Big Should a Telescope's Exit Pupil Be?
Image brightness, magnification, and why the old ideal of a 7-millimeter exit pupil is not so ideal at all.
Observing the Sun Safely: Sunspots, Faculae, and Flares
The surface of the Sun is a dynamic, living place that can change unpredictably from day to day.
Observing Secrets of Deep-Sky Objects Revealed
Here's how to hone your galaxy-hunting skills — and what to expect at the eyepiece.
Light Pollution In The Night Sky
Light pollution has become so pervasive that it compromises the view of the universe for an estimated 90 percent of Americans.
Watch the Re-Entry of Stardust
Late Saturday night, January 14-15, skywatchers in much of the American West can watch for a dazzling artificial "meteor."
Mars News, True and False
It's unkillable! A two-year old e-mail chain letter is misleading people into expecting Mars to go nuts in August.
New Amateur Asteroid Awards
Congress has established $2,000 annual prizes for U.S. amateurs who discover near-Earth asteroids or aid asteroid research.
Binary Quasar Is No Illusion
A close pair of quasars in Pisces turns out just that, not the record-breaking gravitational lens that astronomers had hoped.
Asteroid Flyby Caught!
On July 3, 2006, an 800-meter (half-mile) asteroid called 2004 XP14 flew past Earth at a distance a little greater than that of the Moon.
Comet Schwassmann- Wachmann 3 at Its Best
This periodic comet, due to fly close by Earth in May, is breaking into even more pieces. The brightest one may reach 4th magnitude.
Comet To Cross Ring Nebula!
On Sunday night for North America, the brightest piece of Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 goes right over the Ring Nebula in Lyra.
A Big New Step in the Search for ET
The world's largest optical SETI telescope begins sweeping millions of stars for laser signals from alien civilizations.
Why Galaxies Tilt Just So
Spiral galaxies like the Milky Way got oriented by forces shaping the entire cosmos.