SUNSET: 
Lots of Rocks Hit the Moon and Mars
Thanks to high-definition cameras or orbiting spacecraft, planetary geologists are getting their first reliable stats for the impact rates on our neighbor worlds.
S&T's Audio Sky Tour for July 2013
At dusk, you'll find Venus low in the west, Saturn well up in the south, and a celestial scorpion rising up in the east. Near the Scorpion's stinger is a small star cluster that's observable by eye.
Tour July's Sky! | May 26th, 2013
At dusk, you'll find Venus low in the west, Saturn well up in the south, and a celestial scorpion rising up in the east. Near the Scorpion's stinger is a small star cluster that's observable by eye.
A Bright Flash in the (Lunar) Night
If you'd been watching the Moon at just the right moment on March 17th, you might have seen a brief starlike flash created when a beachball-size rock slammed into the lunar surface.
Uranus & Neptune: Thin Weather Layers
The solar system's "ice giants" display surprisingly energetic weather patterns — and a new analysis suggests they're all confined to a very thin outer layer on each planet.
Kepler Goes Down — and Probably Out
NASA's revolutionary planet-hunting spacecraft suffered malfunction this week that leaves it unable to point precisely at its target stars.
Earth and Moon: Sharing a Drink
New analysis of Apollo samples shows that water trapped in eruptions from the Moon's interior have the same isotopic fingerprint as terrestrial water — a key confirmation that the Moon formed after something big hit Earth.
Lingering Echoes of Comet S-L 9's Demise
It's been nearly 19 years since fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 slammed into Jupiter. Recent observations show that water delivered by the comet still lingers in the planet's stratosphere.
Saturn is Making Waves
Just as it's coming closest to Earth, the big ringed planet is in the news in multiple ways — including the discovery of a long-lasting hurricane at its north pole.
Take a Stand Against Light Pollution!
"Globe at Night" is a fun, easy, and worthwhile activity for you and your family. Please join this worldwide campaign to measure the darkness of night skies everywhere from April 29th to May 8th.
Tour May's Sky! | April 26th, 2013
Saturn rises in early evening and is visible throughout May. And a remarkable gathering of Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury sparkles low in the west toward month's end.
November's Very Special Eclipse
If you're thinking about joining Sky & Telescope and Spears Travel to see November 3rd's total eclipse of the Sun, here are three important numbers to consider: 29, 12, and 1.002.
A Tumbling Apophis: Good News for Earth
Careful observations of asteroid 99942 last January show it to be both elongated and tumbling — which is good news to the celestial dynamicists trying to predict this body's future close brushes with Earth.
April 25th's Partial Lunar Eclipse
Truly dedicated eclipse-watchers — who live in the Eastern Hemisphere — have a chance to watch the Moon barely graze Earth's umbra during the first eclipse of 2013.
Has the Mars 3 Lander Been Found?
New images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter appear to show the Soviet Union's Mars 3 lander, which mysteriously fell silent just seconds after reaching the Red Planet's surface in 1971.
NASA to Snag a Near-Earth Asteroid
Not content to let private companies have all the fun in asteroid exploration and exploitation, NASA managers have proposed a high-flying mission that would capture a small asteroid and dispatch astronauts to study it — all within the next decade.
Celebrate the Night — This Week, This Month
Anytime is a good time for a star party, but April offers some of the best opportunities to get out under the night's beauty. Take your pick: there's Globe at Night, International Dark-Sky Week, Astronomy Day, and Global Astronomy Month.
Is Saturn's Family Showing Its Age?
A detailed analysis of Cassini images suggests that the rings of moons of Saturn are ancient creations that in recent times have been coated to varying degrees by a dark, reddish patina.
S&T's Audio Sky Tour for May 2013
Saturn rises in early evening and is visible throughout May. And a remarkable gathering of Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury sparkles low in the west toward month's end.
Curiosity Wades Into Mudstone and More
In the six months since it landed onto the floor of Gale crater, NASA's newest rover has found plenty of evidence that this bit of Mars was soaking wet — and probably more than once.
