SUNSET: 
Explore the Night with Bob King
Dusty Vistas: Best Gritty Galaxies of the Season
Stare up at the Milky Way band on a dark night and you'll see missing pieces from clouds of foreground dust that absorb the light of distant stars. There are other mottled "milky ways" just like ours, millions of light-years away.
Big Scope Breakout: New Supernovae, Novae, Bright Spot on Saturn
The sky's been bursting with exploding stars this season. Plus there's a new storm on Saturn. What's a skywatcher to do? Haul out the scope!
Put a Little Bit of Leo in Your Life
We lift the Lion's paw to find a bright, red variable star, a germinating planetary nebula, galaxies rarely visited, and a diversity of doubles.
Astronomy and Stargazing Projects
What Southern Stargazers Long to See in Northern Skies
Southern Hemisphere objects like Omega Centauri and the Magellanic Clouds make Northern Hemisphere observers envious. Today, we turn the tables and find out what those living in negative latitudes would love to see up north.
Last Chance to See Doomed Chinese Space Station
China's premier space station, Tiangong 1, has a one-way ticket into the Earth's atmosphere later this month. See it before it's no more.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Walking with Arcturus
Stars are time machines that can transport us into the past or future. They can also illuminate our own personal journeys, as Arcturus did for me one night.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Budding and Ancient Star Clusters of the March Sky
Open clusters present a mystery. Some fall apart in a few hundred million years, others hang around for billions. Join me as we visit both the youngest and oldest star clusters in the Milky Way.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Full Moon Is Tycho Time
With this week's full Moon, the dazzling crater Tycho will be in full regalia. Time to catch some rays!
Venus Peeps Back Into View at Dusk
After a long drought, a bright planet emerges in the western sky. Welcome back, Venus!
A Winter Night's Sojourn in Orion's Belt
Orion's Belt is a magnetic sight on February nights. Take the bait and revel in a bounty of double and multiple stars, nebulae, and more.
Asteroid 2018 CB Zips by Earth Friday: Watch it Online
Newly-discovered asteroid 2018 CB will be passing only about 44,000 miles away Friday and visible in modest telescopes.
Humanity Star: Bright Idea or Dark Sky Nemesis?
The launch of the Humanity Star has some fuming, others smiling, at the prospect of seeing a bright, new satellite. What do you think?
Make the Most of January's Total Lunar Eclipse
An unusual dawn total lunar eclipse presents special challenges and great photo opportunities. Here's what you need to know to make the most of it.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Michigan Meteorite Tally Multiplies
They look like leftover gravel from a freshly laid asphalt road, but the black stones that spattered across the snow in the wake of the January 16th Michigan fireball were anything but terrestrial. They belonged to a tiny asteroid on a recent foray to the outer asteroid belt but now…
Hunters Recover Meteorites From Michigan Fireball
A spectacular fireball seen by hundreds of people from Iowa to Ontario delivered precious samples from the asteroid belt to the lake country of southern Michigan Tuesday night.
Mira Makes January Nights "Wonderful"
Mira, one of the easiest-to-observe pulsating variable stars, reaches peak brightness this month. Don't be shy, come look her in the eye.
Catch these Comets in 2018
We look ahead to see what fuzzy visitors, new and returning, will brighten the nights ahead. One and possibly two naked-eye comets are on the way.
Mars Flies By Jupiter in a Close Dawn Conjunction
The new year opens with the magnificent pairing of the solar system's largest planet with one of its smallest.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Meet the Shy Side of the Local Group
The Local Group galaxies and their kin are the building blocks of the most magnificent galaxies in the universe. Let them inspire your winter nights.
Explore the Night with Bob King
What's the Thinnest Crescent Moon You Can See?
A slender Moon is an beautiful and inspiring sight. December and January offer several opportunities to see these exceptional crescents.
