201–220 of 513 results
Canopus

Meet the Stars

Meet Canopus, the Second Brightest Star

The second-brightest star after Sirius, Canopus is visible in southern skies, shining out of the constellation Carina.

Planets

A Spoonful of Saturn to Sweeten the Night

Move over Jupiter, it's time for Saturn to shine! At opposition this week, the ringed planet is at its brightest and closest for the year.

29Pgoes pop!

Explore the Night with Bob King

Where Have All the Comets Gone?

It seems like forever since a bright comet has come around. We look at current and future prospects.

Diamond Ring

Celestial Objects to Observe

Plan for the Next Total Solar Eclipse

Totality is addictive — once you've seen one total solar eclipse, you're hankering for the next one. Some exciting destinations are getting ready for their dances with darkness.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Welcome Back, Milky Way!

Twilight's end brings the return of the summer Milky Way to the eastern sky. We unravel the anatomy of our home galaxy by teasing out the hidden structures within that glowing band. 

An arm to the sun

Celestial Objects to Observe

SpaceX Launches First Volley of Starlink Satellites

The 60 Starlink satellites parading across the sky make an incredible sight, but some skywatchers wonder at what cost to the night.

Star queen of Serpens

Explore the Night with Bob King

See Bright Nebulae Millions of Light-Years Away

We leave the Milky Way behind and venture out to explore giant star-bursting regions in the galaxies M101 and NGC 2366.

Bob King Watches an ISS pass

Space Satellites

Watch International Space Station Flybys All Night Long

The annual International Space Station marathon viewing season begins later this week, when skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere can watch up to five successive ISS passes in one night.

Spica and Corvus

Celestial Objects to Observe

Meet Spica, the Ear of Grain

Meet Spica, the "ear of grain" in the constellation Virgo. This bright star is actually part of a binary orbiting so closely, they tug each other out of spherical shapes and whirl around each other every four days.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Hunting Bright Variable Stars in M5 and M13

Globular clusters are packed with variable stars, some of which are easy to see and follow in amateur telescopes. We explore M5 and M13, two of the season's finest.

Astronomy and Stargazing Projects

Double Date with a Dragon

For your enjoyment, a diverse selection of double stars in Draco for small and medium telescopes.

Deep Sky

Yanking Markarian's Chain

Markarian's Chain, a remarkable arc of bright galaxies, is your ticket to the Virgo Cluster. Hop aboard!

Variable Stars

Twinkle, Twinkle Quasi-Star — 12 Quasars for Spring Evenings

Quasars are among the brightest and most distant objects in the universe. Many are visible in amateur scopes if you know just where to look. We'll help you track them down.

Protoplanet of intrigue

Asteroids

Pop in on Pallas and Iris Tonight

Break out your binoculars or telescope the next clear night for a peek at the bright asteroids Pallas and Iris, both at opposition this spring. 

Trio in Leo

Celestial Objects to Observe

It's Spring! Time to Visit the Bright Galaxies of Leo I

Springtime is galaxy time. Only 30 million light years away, the Leo I Group and nearby Leo Triplet entice the eye with an assortment of bright spiral and elliptical galaxies. Welcome to spring! The new season begins (or began depending on when you read this) at 5:58 p.m. EDT on…

Deep Sky

Deep-sky Hunting in Cancer, the Crab

As winter melts into spring, we sample both familiar and overlooked deep-sky treasures in the "empty space" between Gemini and Leo, home of the Crab.

Daylight Phenomena

How to See Sirius in the Daytime

Spotting Sirius in broad daylight may be easier than you think! Here's how to do it.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Deep-Sky Observing Without Equipment, Part II — The Winter Sky

Really want to see what your eyes can do? Leave the telescope at home and join me for a naked-eye tour of the late winter sky.

Sirius with tiny Sirius B (just above the upper-left diffraction spike).

Occultations

Will Sirius Disappear on February 18th?

On Monday night, February 18th, observers in the western U.S. and Mexico may see the occultation of a lifetime when a tiny asteroid momentarily blots out the night sky's brightest star.