SUNSET: 
Time Travel for Skywatchers
Time travel is one of the best things about astronomy. Check out two websites that give skywatchers a more visceral sense of stellar distances and how constellations change shape across the sweep of time.
The Lyrid Shower Kicks Off Year of Great Meteor Watching
The annual Lyrid meteor shower will shoot off silent fireworks on Earth Day this Sunday. We explore the shower's origin and how best to view and photograph it.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fantastic Year for Geminid Meteor Shower
Mark the date: December 13th. That's the night the Geminid meteor shower peaks. Highlighted by the return of its parent asteroid 3200 Phaethon, this year's show promises to be one of the best ever.
Asteroid 3200 Phaethon: Geminid Parent at Its Closest and Brightest!
The parent asteroid of next month's Geminid meteor shower, 3200 Phaethon, is about to make a historically close flyby. Get ready to watch it race across the sky.
