SUNSET: 
Observe Vesta — and Own a Piece of It, Too
Vesta's bright and easy to find in binoculars and maybe even with the naked eye in late summer skies. It's also just as easy to acquire a piece of it without a multi-billion dollar space mission.
Perseids Are Coming, Full Moon or Not
Don't use a full Moon pass to skip this year's Perseid meteor shower. Right here, right now, we're going to help you make the most of it.
Solving an Earthshine Mystery
Something we take for granted about the crescent Moon's appearance may be nothing more than an optical illusion.
See a Rare Transit of Iapetus on July 17–18
It's tiny. It's challenging. But you won't get the chance to see Iapetus transit the globe of Saturn again until 2037!
Titan Occults a Bright Star, Mira Awakens, and Comet PanSTARRS Shines
Pick one or see them all. July offers a potpourri of celestial events for both naked-eye observers and telescope users that include a rare occultation by Saturn's moon Titan, a bright comet, and Mira at maximum.
Solar System Gets its Ducks in a Row
We'll have not one but many opportunities to enjoy a rare lineup of the bright planets over the next few weeks. Amazingly, they'll be aligned in order of their distance from the Sun.
Tau Herculid Meteors Surprise and Delight
We touch on the highlights of the memorable Tau Herculid meteor shower and also report on the recent outburst of the recurrent nova U Scorpii.
A New Way to See the Big Dipper
Unlike most asterisms, many of the Big Dipper's stars really are physically connected. They belong to a loosely bound stellar stream called the Ursa Major Moving Cluster.
Witness a Total Lunar Eclipse on Sunday, May 15–16
The full Flower Moon ducks inside Earth's shadow in a total lunar eclipse this month. We help you prepare for all the highlights of the special event.
How to Observe and Measure Naked-eye Sunspots
As Solar Cycle 25 ticks up, naked-eye sunspots are becoming more frequent. They're not only fun to observe, but with this simple method you can determine just how big they are. We also have news on a bright supernova!
Celebrate Spring with the Lyrids
People have been watching the annual Lyrid meteor shower for more than 2,700 years. Come join the crowd!
Comets to View in 2022
Like comets? We've got 11 frozen fuzzies to share with you in the coming months, including a couple that could become fine binocular objects.
Will Saturn Sprout Spots this Observing Season?
As Saturn returns to the morning sky, will this otherwise serene-looking planet experience another bout of severe weather? Keep your eyes peeled for white spots!
Explore the Night with Bob King
Uncovering Secrets of Earth's Shadow
The daily rising and setting of Earth's shadow is a beautiful sight anyone on the planet can view. It's also an opportunity to witness the rapid changes that accompany sunset or sunrise, but at the opposite end of the sky.
Reveling in the Winter Milky Way
With the Moon departing the evening sky, now's a good time for a closer look at the northern winter Milky Way and its southern summer counterpart, too. No equipment required!
Explore the Night with Bob King
See the Sun from Other Stars
We journey to distant suns to look back at our solar system and see its place among the stars.
Set Your Sights on This Lunar Bull’s-Eye
Go ahead, live on the edge: Grab your chance this month to see Mare Orientale, one of the most spectacular lunar seas most people have never seen.
Watch an Asteroid Race Across the Sky
The kilometer-wide, potentially hazardous asteroid 1994 PC1 will fly past Earth on January 18th. Good news on two counts: It won't hit us, and it's bright enough to see in a 4-inch telescope.
Comet-seeking on Cold, Crunchy Nights
Did the recent apparition of Comet Leonard whet your appetite for more of these beautiful unpredictables? Here are five more you can see with your telescope this season.
Comet Leonard: A Gift at Christmastime
Multiple bright outbursts have transformed Comet Leonard into a stunning photographic object that’s also visible without optical aid from southern locations. More disruptions are likely in store as it approaches perihelion.
