SUNSET: 
Astro Image in the News:
Huygens En Route to Titan
Courtesy NASA / JPL. Cassini captured this image of the Huygens probe (bright dot at the upper right) just 12 hours after it separated from the mothership at 2:00 Universal Time on December 25th. Huygens, built by the European Space Agency, will remain dormant until it approaches Saturn's cloud-enshrouded moon…
Astro Image in the News:
Opportune Pictures
The Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, continues to image spectacular vistas.
The Winter Solstice and the Sun's Rebirth
On Tuesday morning, December 21st, the Sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky for 2004, marking the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Astro Image in the News:
Return to Titan
Courtesy NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute. Cassini captured this stunning image of the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, as it approached on December 11th during its second flyby. The bright region toward the bottom of the image has been dubbed "Xanadu" by scientists. Cassini captured this scene from 810,000 kilometers (503,000…
Planet Parade and Geminid Meteors Come in Mid-December
A rare configuration of planets is followed by the annual Geminid meteor shower on the night and early morning of December 13&endash;14. Here's some advice on how, when, and where to look for "shooting stars."
Exoplanet Resonance Animations
An artist depicts the two planets orbiting the red-dwarf star Gliese 876. The two planets are locked in a 2:1 mean-motion resonance, meaning that over long time scales, the inner planet completes two revolutions every time the outer planet completes one. Courtesy Mark A. Garlick. As astronomers have discovered more…
Dawn Displays to Light November Skies
Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent Moon put on a grand show at dawn in early November, followed closely by the annual Leonid meteor shower on the morning of the 17th.
Total Lunar Eclipse to Occur on the Night of Oct. 27th
On Wednesday night-Thursday morning, October 27–28, watch the full Moon slide into Earth's shadow. The event is beautifully timed and placed for skywatchers in the Americas.
Astro News Briefs: September 20–26
More money for Mars and Kodak's Technical Pan Film is discontinued.
Astro Image in the News:
Toutatis Encounters Earth — and Misses (This Time)
Another asteroid flyby caught on camera.
Astro Image in the News:
Rover Tracks From Space
A new imaging technique has allowed the Mars Global Surveyor to see 0.5 meter resolution views of the Red Planet.
Fall Begins with Equinox on September 22nd
At 12:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, September 22nd, fall begins in Earth's Northern Hemisphere — astronomically speaking. That's when the Sun passes over Earth's equator heading south.
Sky & Telescope to Publish Australian Edition
Sky & Telescope, the most respected astronomy magazine in the world, has joined forces with Sydney-based Paragon Media to launch an Australian edition.
Astro News Briefs: August 30–September 5
Fred Whipple (1906–2004) and Beagle 2's Postmortem
Astro News Briefs: August 16–22
Two New Moons for Saturn August 18, 2004 | Saturn's family just got a little bigger. While examining Cassini images on his laptop computer during vacation, Sebastien Charnoz (University of Paris) discovered two small Saturnian moons, raising the ringed planet's tally to 33. The moons, temporarily designated S/2004 S 1…
Astro News Briefs: August 2–8
MARSIS Delayed August 4, 2004 | Europe's Mars Express orbiter completed its formal scientific commissioning on June 3rd, but the mission has run into a problem with one of its main science instruments. The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) was set to use long radio waves…
Sunspots Visible
After weeks of having a face free of large blemishes, the Sun now sports a Jupiter-sized spot, large enough to be visible without magnification if you use a safe solar filter.
