SUNSET: 
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Mira Makes January Nights "Wonderful"
Mira, one of the easiest-to-observe pulsating variable stars, reaches peak brightness this month. Don't be shy, come look her in the eye.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Invite Ross 128 Over This Thanksgiving
With exoplanet Ross 128b in the news, we pay a visit to the star that sustains this potentially habitable exoplanet.
8th-magnitude Nova in Sagittarius
A nova in Sagittarius, discovered a few nights ago by a Japanese amateur, has become bright enough to see in binoculars.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Is T CrB About to Blow its Top?
The recurrent nova T Coronae Borealis last made a splash just after World War II. Does its current restive state hint at an imminent outburst?
Meet My Variable Friend SS Cygni
Get acquainted with SS Cygni, the sky's brightest cataclysmic variable star. It's guaranteed to keep you on your toes.
The Top 12 Naked-Eye Variable Stars
Lurking in the seemingly changeless constellations are a few inconstant stars that pulse and eclipse. Here are a dozen variables that are easy to observe.
Epsilon Aurigae's Eclipse Begins
Robin Leadbeater of Wigton, UK, has reported the first sign of the long-awaited eclipse of Epsilon Aurigae, one of the most remarkable eclipsing variable stars in the sky.
Beta Lyrae
Beta Lyrae, an eclipsing binary, is one of the brightest and easiest-to-find variable stars in the sky.
Chi Cygni's Record-Breaking Maximum
The red, Mira-type variable star Chi Cygni has had a very unusual maximum. It's one of the brightest such variables to begin with (typically peaking at about magnitude 5.2), but in late July and early August 2006, it peaked at about magnitude 3.8.
Chi Cygni: A Wide-Ranging Variable
This red long-period variable is sometimes visible to the unaided eye — and sometimes invisible even in a 4-inch telescope.
Mining Hipparcos's Buried Treasure
The satellite caught tantalizing pieces of light curves for many new variable stars. Now it's time to fill in the details.
Astronomy and Stargazing Projects
Nova Hunters
Few observers have spotted an ever-elusive "new" star. Fewer still have done it twice. Observing styles and techniques are as varied as the searchers themselves.
A Treasure-Trove of Variable Stars
Some of the Hipparcos satellite's unfinished business provides fair game for backyard observers.
The Minima of Algol
Now you can calculate the dates and times (local and Universal Times) when the eclipsing variable star Algol should be at its dimmest (magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1).
The Lure of Variable Stars
Studying and recording the ups and downs of variable stars is a pleasant pastime that can also be scientifically rewarding. Here's a simple project to get you going.
R and T Coronae Borealis: Two Stellar Opposites
One is usually bright but fades unexpectedly; one is almost always faint but brightens unexpectedly. Check them out with binoculars.
Delta Scorpii Still Showing Off
For the fourth summer in a row, the head of the bright constellation Scorpius looks a little unusual.
X Sagittarii: A Variable Star Toward Our Galaxy's Heart
This naked-eye variable should be near peak brightness every Wednes-day night during August, September, and October.
Chi Cygni Rises Toward Maximum
Catch a orange-red variable star in Cygnus, the Swan, as its brightness peaks in early July.