SUNSET: 
Thoughts about Pluto
Eighty years ago, Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto while comparing two photographs taken a few weeks earlier. How does his discovery look in light of our current knowledge?
Venus, Jupiter, and Vesta
Venus and Jupiter have a close but difficult conjunction shortly after sunset on Tuesday, Feb. 16. And after the sky gets dark, you have an unusual chance to see an asteroid with hardly any effort at all.
Thoughts about Star Charts
The author ponders the dilemmas of providing star charts for observing articles in Sky & Telescope.
Double-Star Resources
Here are some handy reference works for people who love to observe double stars and want to expand their horizons.
The Joy of Double Stars
Double stars are fun, quick, and easy to observe.
My First Grazing Occultation
It's great when an astronomical event far exceeds your expectations.
A Great Year for Geminid Meteors
When nature puts on a great show, why not watch? The Geminid meteors, which peak on December 13-14, may not be as famous as August's Perseids, but they're just as bountiful.
January 11th's Morning Antares Occulation
On the morning of January 11, 2010, people in northeasternmost North America can watch the Moon cover Antares for the last time until 2023.
More on Scopes and Binoculars
What sized telescope is equivalent to a pair of 70-mm binoculars? To some extent, this is a question without an answer — like comparing apples to oranges. But for some purposes, 70-mm binoculars can actually do better than a 100-mm scope. In other words, the human brain sometimes gets better results combining the light seen through two eyes than you can get by doubling the light seen through one eye.
The 2009 Leonids Are Coming!
The Leonid meteor shower peaks near new Moon in 2009, making this a fine year for any meteor lover. Observers in the Americas are ideally placed for the traditional peak, and a brief, unusually intense burst is forecast for Asia.
Paradoxical Messier 33
Messier 33, which rides high in the sky on late-autmun evenings, can be the most rewarding or frustrating of all galaxies, depending on your conditions and your mindset.
Chainsaw Astronomy
Cutting down trees to get a better view of the night sky can be a surprisingly emotional issue.
Tribute to Stefan Seip
Stefan Seip, who shot the cover photo for SkyWatch 2010, is one of the world's leading astrophotographers.
December 21, 2012
In case you haven't heard, there's a rumor going around that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Did the Mayans really predict the world would end then? Is the astronomy for real? Do we have anything to worry about? Not surprisingly, the answers are "no," "no," and "of course not."
Doing Deep-Sky Wonders
It's hard to find a better way to spend an hour or two outside on a clear, moonless night than viewing the targets from the latest Deep-Sky Wonders column through a telescope.
Hiking Under the Stars
The view from New Hampshire's Mount Guyot: Venus blazes above the glow of the impending sunrise.
FirstScope Tips
In the October 2009 issue, S&T senior editor Dennis di Cicco reviewed the amazing new $50 Celestron FirstScope. It performs far better than any telescope in its price range ever did before, and also better than many scopes that cost twice as much. But not surprisingly considering the price, it…
Jupiter Without Moons
On the night of September 2-3, a remarkable celestial event will take place. For almost two hours, all four of Jupiter's Galilean moons will be hiding either behind or in front of the giant planet.
Jupiter Blots Out a Star
From August 2nd to 5th, the 6th-magnitude star 45 Capricorni masquerades as a fifth moon of Jupiter, forming striking patterns with the Galilean moons. And at the peak of the action, the star passes behind Jupiter's disk.
Asteroid to Occult Star July 18-19
Around 1 a.m. CDT (2 a.m. EDT) on the night of Saturday-Sunday, July 18-19, the moderately large asteroid 790 Pretoria occults a 10th-magnitude star in Pegasus for observers from Florida through Minnesota.
