SUNSET: 
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Where Have All the Comets Gone?
It seems like forever since a bright comet has come around. We look at current and future prospects.
Explore the Night with Bob King
See Southern Hemisphere Stars in This Journey to the Bottom of the Sky
How Low Can You Go? Journey to the Bottom of the Sky
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yanking Markarian's Chain
Markarian's Chain, a remarkable arc of bright galaxies, is your ticket to the Virgo Cluster. Hop aboard!
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
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…
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
How to See Sirius in the Daytime
Spotting Sirius in broad daylight may be easier than you think! Here's how to do it.
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Comet Iwamoto Ascends and Brightens
Comet Iwamoto is visible as a binocular target from a dark sky. Follow it this week as it passes from Virgo into Leo.