SUNSET: 
International Observe the Moon Night 2019
Observe the first-quarter Moon on October 5 for International Observe the Moon Night. Here's a guide to tell you what to look for.
Official Names Approved for 86 More Stars
The International Astronomical Union has given its official approval for 86 star names, following up on last year's announcement of 227 official star names.
U.S. Forever Stamp to Feature Amateur Astrophotos
The U.S. Postal Service's new Total Eclipse Forever stamp will feature photos by the well-know eclipse expert Fred Espenak, who is also a master of many different kinds of astrophotography.
The Year 2016 Will Be One Second Longer
Do you think 2016 has seemed unusually long? An international agency has decided to make it even longer.
IAU Standardizes 212 Traditional Star Names
Bringing order to chaos, the International Astronomical Union has approved standardized spellings and designations for the traditional names of 212 bright stars.
Star Charts: A Vital Resource for Learning the Night Sky
Our Constellation Basics webinar provides background information about the major winter constellations. Here are some accompanying online resources.
A Tale of Two Star Festivals
Two star parties in late May, including one of the biggest in the world, drew together beginners and experienced astronomers alike.
Choosing Your Astronomy Equipment
What to Know Before Buying a Telescope
Looking through a telescope introduces you to a whole new world of unexpected wonders. But telescopes come in a huge range of sizes and shapes. Here's a detailed, printable guide to the essential features that every good scope needs to have.
Last Month for SkyWeek TV
April 2014 will be the last month covered by Sky & Telescope's wildly popular SkyWeek TV show.
Uranus and Neptune in 2014
Uranus and Neptune are easy to find with the aid of the charts in this article.
Catch a Comet Buzzing Earth
On Thursday, May 29th, Comet 209P/LINEAR will pass just 5 million miles (8 million km) from Earth, one of the closest comet approaches in history.
Ceres and Vesta in 2014
The two brightest asteroids are very close to each other in the sky in 2014, fitting in a single field of view through binoculars and some telescopes.
Quadrantid Meteors Ring in 2014
Start the new year right by viewing an excellent but short-lived meteor shower, called the Quadrantids, which peaks on Friday, January 3rd.
See Venus's Thin Crescent
Venus usually appears pretty boring through a telescope. But from mid-December to mid-February it's a spectacularly long, thin crescent.
Lovely Comet Lovejoy
Comet ISON has come and gone, but lovely Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) is still going strong. It is now at or near peak brightness, and well placed in the Northern Hemisphere's predawn sky.
Comet ISON Comes to Life!
Veteran comet observer John Bortle reports that Comet ISON is undergoing a major outburst. It was six times brighter when he observed it this morning (November 14th) than on the previous morning.
The Other Great Morning Comet
While Comet ISON is brightening rapidly, Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) is far more impressive right now, and also much better placed in the sky. It's shown here passing Messier 44, the Beehive Cluster.
How to Stay Warm at Night
It's easy to stay warm on cold winter nights if you dress appropriately — and take a few common-sense precautions.
Nova Delphini 2013
Nova Delphini 2013 was discovered on August 14th, peaked two days later at magnitude 4.4, and by early November was down to magnitude 11.
The Eclipses of May 2013
May 2013 features an annular solar eclipse that's visible from extraordinarily little land area and a penumbral lunar eclipse that isn't visible at all.
