Some Suburban Messiers
Celestial showpieces look strikingly different in the suburbs than they do under dark skies.
Prepare for the Perseids
August is the best month to view meteors from the Northern Hemisphere. And conditions are ideal this year, with activity peaking on the new-Moon night of Sunday–Monday, August 12–13.
Mercury Meets the Twins
In the early morning hours of August 1st, you can see Mercury in the constellation Gemini.
Twilight
Twilight is a magical time, my favorite part of the whole 24-hour cycle.
Microsaccades
An article in Scientific American suggests that training your eye to see faint objects may have a physiological basis.
Two Views of the North America Nebula
The North America Nebula in Cygnus is famously visible to the unaided eye under dark skies. But are we really seeing the nebulosity?
Increasing Chance of Meteors
The meteor rate is finally picking up after a multi-month drought.
Comet Envy
I've seen Comet LINEAR C/2006 VZ13 many times now — but not when it was most spectacularly placed.
Star Cluster/Comet Encounter
On Sunday evening Comet LINEAR (C/2006 VZ13) passes within kissing distance of the great globular star cluster Messier 3.
Mercury in the Morning
The innermost planet makes a fine appearance in the eastern sky during the last two weeks of July.
Pollution and Stargazing
Air pollution can be as much of a problem as light pollution for stargazers.
Galaxies and Clusters and Comet, Oh My!
A summer night in the Boston exurbs proves surprisingly rewarding.
Comet LINEAR Graces the Northern Sky
An unexpectedly bright comet is crossing a well-known part of the sky.
Strange Encounters Part II
I was intrigued that all the responses to my previous blog entry discussed encounters with wild animals rather than strange humans. (Sorry, I lost all of those comments during the switchover to the new blog technology.) I've met my fair share of wild animals, but somehow that never seems surprising…
The Evening Star Greets the Ringed Planet
On Saturday and Sunday evening, for observers all around the world, Venus and Saturn will fit together comfortably in the field of view of most telescopes at 50x. That's ample magnification to show both Saturn's magnificent rings and Venus's crescent phase.
Strangers in the Night
Stargazers aren't the only people who do bizarre though harmless things outside at night.
Beyond the Printed Page
Did you know that there's more to Sky & Telescope than you can see when you're browsing it at a newsstand? Many articles include extra material that's available only on our website.
The Day the Sun Stands Still
Have you ever wondered what the word "solstice" means?
Decisions, Decisions
A deep-sky observer's life revolves around the phase of the Moon and the weather forecast.