41–60 of 78 results

Celestial Objects to Observe

M13 with a Side of Galaxies, Please

The Great Hercules Cluster is on everyone's observing list this summer. But there's lots more to see within a stone's throw of this grand object — like 20 galaxies!

Deep Sky

Dusty Vistas: Best Gritty Galaxies of the Season

Stare up at the Milky Way band on a dark night and you'll see missing pieces from clouds of foreground dust that absorb the light of distant stars. There are other mottled "milky ways" just like ours, millions of light-years away.

Variable Stars

Put a Little Bit of Leo in Your Life

We lift the Lion's paw to find a bright, red variable star, a germinating planetary nebula, galaxies rarely visited, and a diversity of doubles.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Budding and Ancient Star Clusters of the March Sky

Open clusters present a mystery. Some fall apart in a few hundred million years, others hang around for billions. Join me as we visit both the youngest and oldest star clusters in the Milky Way.

Orion's Belt by Bob King

Double Stars

A Winter Night's Sojourn in Orion's Belt

Orion's Belt is a magnetic sight on February nights. Take the bait and revel in a bounty of double and multiple stars, nebulae, and more.

Celestial Objects to Observe

See the Celestial Birds of the Milky Way

Summer is perfect for bird-watching whether that be in the trees or among the stars of the Milky Way. We explore the celestial birds of the season.

Celestial News & Events

Bright Supernova Discovered in "Fireworks Galaxy" NGC 6946

A brand new supernova in NGC 6946 is bright enough to see in modest-sized telescopes. Here's how to find it.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Are You Ready, Willing, and Abell?

A cosmic rabbit hole in the tail of Leo will take you to Abell 1367, a wonderland of galaxies more than 300 million light-years from Earth. Step in and lose yourself in the vastness.

Celestial Objects to Observe

Resolving Andromeda — How to See Stars 2.5 Million Light-Years Away

At 2.5 million light-years away, you might think it's impossible to see individual stars in the Andromeda Galaxy. Let its largest star cloud, NGC 206, show you the way.

New Planetary Nebula in the Making

Deep Sky

Polarized Light: From Blue Sky to Egg Nebula

Bees see polarized light and use it to navigate to honey. Learn how you can use it to crack the Egg Nebula.

Cast of Sparkling Characters

Deep Sky

Palling Around With Palomar Globular Clusters

The intriguing Palomar globular clusters will challenge observers with modest to large telescopes, while providing a satisfying ramble around the galactic halo.

Peewee and Papa

Explore the Night with Bob King

Hunting White Dwarfs, the Night's Stellar Peewees

Take a trip down the rabbit hole to the weird and weighty world of planet-sized white dwarf stars.

Natural Artistry

Astronomy and Stargazing Projects

Hunting Giant Planetary Nebulae

Mind your elders the next clear night and pay a visit to some of Spring's biggest and most ancient planetary nebulae.

Omega Centauri from southwestern New Mexico

Celestial Objects to Observe

How To Get a Glimpse of Omega Centauri

Among globular clusters, the immense Omega Centauri is widely regarded as the most impressive in the sky. Its deep southern location makes this object challenging to spot — but it can be done, as Italian observer Giuseppe Pappa explains.

Deep Sky

One Small Order of Ring Galaxies, Please

"One Ring to rule them all." Join me as we explore a unique class of galaxies forged in the chaos of collision.

Graceful arc of shocked gas

Celestial Objects to Observe

How to See Cygnus's Other Veil Nebula

You'll be entering uncharted territory when you seek out this little known 'Shadow of the Veil' in Cygnus this summer.

Deep Sky

Observing the Great Orion Nebula

This star-studded pool of misty light provides a feast for observers.

Celestial Objects to Observe

Digging Deep in M33

The Triangulum Galaxy shows more detail through backyard telescopes than any other galaxies except the Magellanic Clouds and our own home, the Milky Way. But M33's treasures don't just jump out and grab your eye. To see them, you need dark skies, patience . . . and this guide from the December 2004 issue of Sky & Telescope.

M31

Celestial Objects to Observe

111 Deep Sky Wonders for Light-Polluted Skies

Bright skies aren't empty skies. See for yourself how many treasures lie hidden in the glow of a city sky.

M100

Astronomy and Stargazing Projects

Observing Galaxies: Spiral, Elliptical, and Irregular

Trained eyes and clear, dark skies can open up a new dimension in deep-sky observing.