SUNSET: 
Venus's Daytime Vanishing Act on Monday
Brilliant Venus will disappear behind the dark limb of the crescent Moon on Monday, June 18th, for observers in the Middle East and India — and in daytime for Europe and the northeastern tip of North America.
Unexpected Connections
What do digital voice recorders have in common with an 18th-century woman?
Big Sky
Night or day, it's wonderful to see the entire sky all at once.
Binoculars: Guides and Recommendations
Binoculars vs. Starblast, Redux
How do 15x70 binoculars hold up against a genuinely inexpensive telescope?
In Caroline Herschel's Footsteps
This is the only known portrait of Caroline Herschel as a young woman.Museum of the History of Science, OxfordCaroline Herschel (1750–1848) was the first famous female astronomer. Though celebrated in her day for discovering eight comets, she started as a deep-sky observer. In fact, it was Caroline's initial deep-sky discoveries…
First Look: Handcrafted Wooden Dobs
A prize-winning amateur telescope maker goes professional.
Binoculars Part III: One Eye Versus Two
Binoculars are qualitatively different from telescopes with identical aperture.
Binoculars: Guides and Recommendations
Three Binoculars: Part II
Binoculars' strengths and weaknesses are intimately connected.
A Tale of Three Binoculars: Part I
There's a big difference between 10x50 and 15x70 binoculars.
Moon Meets Venus
On the evening of April 19th, the thin crescent Moon passes near Venus, the Evening Star.
Astronomy and Stargazing Projects
How to Make a Sundial the Simple Way
Sundials are amazingly simple yet effective devices. They range from sticks planted in the ground to precision-machined marvels costing thousands of dollars. The design shown here can be constructed in minutes from materials lying around your house, but it's surprisingly accurate.
Seven Sisters Host Evening Star
Venus, the brightest planet, and the Pleiades, the sky's brightest star cluster, form a spectacular grouping in the evening sky from April 10-12.
How Brightly Shines the Moon?
How does skyglow from the full Moon compare to urban light pollution?
Better Late Than Never
Producing the finder charts for asteroid 2006 VV2 was a mad scramble — but worth it.
A Big Chunk of Rock Passes Near Earth
A mile-wide chunk of rock is now whizzing past Earth. At its closest approach, around 11 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on March 30th, it will be 10th magnitude and just 2 million miles over the heads of observers in Southern California.
Measuring Skyglow
Measuring light pollution is fun — though sometimes depressing.
