SUNSET: 
Your Comet McNaught Images
Although Friday is the last good chance for folks in the northern hemisphere to catch Comet McNaught, the reports are streaming in and the comet is clearly a hit! Check out our McNaught photo gallery. We've posted more than three dozen of your pictures already — and we are anxious to see more.
S&T Observes Comet McNaught
At latitude 42° north, Sky & Telescope's offices are fairly well placed for viewing Comet McNaught. And since we're in the eastermost major city in North America, we get to see the comet slightly ahead of most of our readers. Here are some of the observations made by S&T editors.
Tour January's Sky by Ear
January nights may be cold, but they boast a spectacular array of constellations. Our podcast will guide you through this month's sky with no need to fuss with paper or red flashlights.
Celestial Omens
Go out at dusk to see Venus and the crescent Moon pair up. It is always a sight to behold when the brightest objects in the evening sky get together.
A Reason to Rise
Most of us consider weekends a time for sleeping in, but skywatchers who get up before the Sun are presently in for a treat. A trio of planets will dance with the bright star Antares, and on the mornings of the 17th and 18th there will be a guest appearance by the waning crescent Moon. The performance is free, but clear skies and an unobstructed southeastern horizon are required.
The Winter Solstice: A Time for the Sun's Rebirth
On Tuesday evening, December 21st, the Sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky for 2006, marking the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Equipment & Telescope Making Links
Affordable Astronomy Equipment Reviews Antique Telescope Society Astromart AstronomyBoy.com Astronomy Ratings and Info Berthold Hamburger's ATM Page Camera Obscuras Cookbook Camera Home Page Frequently Asked Questions of the ATM Mailing List How to Build a Dobsonian Telescope Lin Robertson's Build Your Own Dobsonian Telescope Mike Weasner's Meade ETX Page NexStar…
Aurora Watch!
Talk about a red-letter night for astronomy. Not only are Geminid meteors still raining down from the skies, there is a major aurora alert in effect for Thursday and Friday. No telescope needed. Just get outside and look up.
Triple Conjunction
Don't miss the conjunction of three bright planets, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter in the morning twilight. Early risers will be treated to a planetary triangle at dawn, the best observable triple-conjunction of the bright planets until 2029.
Omega Optical Launches Astrofilters Website
Filter manufacturer Omega Optical, a supplier of filters to NASA, has entered the consumer market. They are now offering filters to the amateur astronomy community.
Sunspot Watch!
Grab your solar telescopes and Mylar filters — a major sunspot group has just come around the limb of the Sun and into view. What's more, on December 5th this spot produced a major solar flare. If it erupts again soon, we could be in for dazzling auroral light shows.
Take a Sky Tour This Month
If you're willing to brave the cold, December is a great month for stargazing. Short days also mean long nights, and some great, albeit frigid, observing conditions.
SkyScout is Hot Stuff!
It comes as little surprise that Celestron's SkyScout, the unique hand-held device that identifies any naked-eye celestial object centered in its sighting tube, is flying off the shelves this holiday season.
Tour July's Evening Sky In 2006
Track down dazzling Jupiter and the trio of bright stars that comprise the Summer Triangle. (4MB MP3 file; hosted by Kelly Beatty, editor of Night Sky magazine.)
Mercury and Mars at Dawn
Rise and shine! Fleeting Mercury will be highest above the southeastern horizon Sunday morning — your best chance to see it until February. It joins Mars in a predawn appearance.
Equipment: Guides & Recommendations
Hot New Products for 2007
What's the coolest new stuff entering the astronomical market? That's the question that Sky & Telescope editors wrestle with as they make their annual selection of Hot New Products.
A Leonid Meteor Shower Outburst?
Late Saturday night, November 18, 2006, the Leonid meteor shower could produce a spectacular sky show over New York, New England, and eastern Canada.
Beautiful Universe 2007 Photo Contest Winners
Out of the hundreds of entries sent to Sky & Telescope, the following represent the best of the best. Click through to see the first-, second-, and third-place winners in each of our nine categories — as well as each of the Readers' Choice Award winners. And a special congratulations…
Mercury's Day in the Sun
Usually you expect to see planets at night. But in broad daylight on Wednesday, November 8th, the planet Mercury will cross the face of the Sun.
More Halloween Treats from NASA
On Tuesday NASA officials funded concept studies for six missions: a return to Deep Impact's Comet Tempel 1, an asteroid sample-return mission, a visit to Venus, and more.
