
To Catch Beads of Sunlight, Here's Where You Should Head for October 14th's Annular Eclipse
Some eclipse-chasers will choose to view a “broken ring” and a long display of Baily's beads on October 14, 2023.

Explore the Night with Bob King
Action-packed Sky: Saturn, Comet Nishimura, and More
September is Saturn's time to shine. We also check on Comet Nishimura — now at 5th magnitude and still brightening — and look forward to a dramatic asteroid occultation. Not to mention that Jupiter just took another hit.

Observing October's Annular Eclipse
If you'll be in the path of the October 14, 2023, annular eclipse, here's what you can look for as the Moon covers the face of the Sun.

El Niño and the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
What will the ongoing El Niño event do to the chance of cloud cover along the 2024 total solar eclipse track?

New Comet Nishimura May Become Naked-Eye Bright
Comet Nishimura is quickly brightening in the morning sky and may be faintly visible with the naked eye next month. And on August 24th observers in North America will be treated to an occultation of Antares.

2024 Total Solar Eclipse: 25 Events, Festivals, and Places to Stay
Some ideas for those who still need a place to go on April 8, 2024, to see the total solar eclipse.

How Rare Is a Solar Eclipse?
There are two solar eclipses every year — so why are they so rare?

Get Ready for a Great Perseid Meteor Shower
The Perseids are here! With no Moon to spoil the show it's time to break out the lawn chairs, sit back, and watch the comet dust fly.

Eclipse Apps, Videos, Books: Resources for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
Find some of our favorite resources for the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse, including apps, video explainers, children's activities, and books.

Explore the Night with Bob King
Time-lapse Animations Reveal a Universe in Transformation
Deep-sky objects may appear static throughout our lifetime but by carefully "blinking" archival and current images we can discern real changes in their appearance.

Explore the Night with Bob King
See Summer's Best “Gobbled” Globulars
Mergers between the Milky Way and long-ago dwarf galaxies have enriched our skies with dozens of iconic globular clusters. Many are visible in small telescopes.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 28 – May 7
The Arch of Spring across the west enfolds Mars and Venus. Wintry Sirius nears its heliacal setting low in the southwest. The Summer Triangle stars come into view one by one in the east.

Astrophotography: Tips & Techniques
Use Your Smartphone to Shoot a Solar Eclipse
Read this advice from expert eclipse-chasers before you use your smartphone to photograph a solar eclipse.

Astrophotography: Tips & Techniques
Eclipse Photographer’s Checklist
For those preparing to photograph a total solar eclipse, Fred Espenak shares his eclipse photography checklist.

Meet Elnath in the Horn of the Bull
Elnath, the bright, blue-white star that marks one of the horns of Taurus, is a peculiar star in its own right.

Pleasures of Lunar Pareidolia
Do you still see animal shapes in clouds? If so, you'll enjoy doing the same with the Moon, home to the Moon Maiden, a giant pair of scissors, and other fantastic specters of light and shadow.

Explore the Night with Bob King
Anticipating Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3)
Newly discovered Comet C/2023 A3 might reach naked-eye brightness when it flies past Earth in 2024. Check out our forecast of what to expect to see in the months ahead.

Aurora Season Is Underway
These are the nights to get ready for the auroras — and tonight may be your lucky night. Not only is the current solar cycle swiftly intensifying, March is one of the best times of the year to see the northern lights.

Catch Birth Flickers of Budding Suns in Orion
Three flickering stars in Orion offer insight into what life looks like before the main sequence.

Understanding the Tails of Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3)
We explore Comet ZTF's remarkable trio of tails and share the latest news and photos.