SUNSET: 
Celestial Sleuths Reveal Exact Date van Gogh Painted Moonrise
On July 13, 2003, a nearly full Moon will appear over the French landscape, identical to one that Vincent van Gogh captured on canvas 114 years ago.
Red Moon Rising: May 15th's Total Lunar Eclipse
For the first time in three years, North Americans will be able to watch the Moon's dramatic disappearing act.
May Brings an Astronomical Bonanza
April 29, 2003 Contacts: Alan MacRobert, Senior Editor 855-638-5388 x151, [email protected] Roger W. Sinnott, Senior Editor 855-638-5388 x146, [email protected] Note to Editors/Producers: This release is accompanied by high-quality animations and illustrations; see details below. Keep your eyes on the heavens throughout this coming month. Astronomically speaking, May is bustin'…
Spring Begins on March 20th...But Why?
March 12, 2003 Contact: Alan MacRobert, Senior Editor 855-638-5388 x151, [email protected] Note to Editors/Producers: This release is accompanied by a high-quality animation and illustration; see details below. The long, cold, snow-laden winter of 2002-03 officially comes to its much-deserved end at exactly 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday,…
First Lights: What to See with Your New Telescope
December 26, 2002 Contact: Richard Tresch Fienberg, Editor in Chief 855-638-5388 x144, [email protected] Note to Editors/Producers: This release is accompanied by high-quality photographs and illustrations and an animation; see details below. Every holiday season, hundreds of thousands of shiny new telescopes are given to good girls and boys (and…
Geminid Meteors Sweeping Toward Earth
The annual Geminid meteor shower peaks on the morning of December 14th, with about a meteor a minute streaking across the sky.
December Solstice Signals the Start of a New Season
On December 21st, at 8:14 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the Sun will reach its southernmost point in the sky for the year. This moment marks the December solstice, the official beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Sky & Telescope Launches German Edition
November 21, 2002 Contact: Marcy Dill, Marketing Director 855-638-5388 x143, [email protected] Sky & Telescope, the most respected astronomy magazine in the world, will appear not only in English, but also in German. Astronomie Heute (Astronomy Today), the German edition of Sky & Telescope, will be published bimonthly starting in February…
Telescope-Buying Tips for the Gift-Giving Season
November 18, 2002 Contacts: Alan MacRobert, Senior Editor 855-638-5388 x151, [email protected] Kelly Beatty, Executive Editor 855-638-5388 x148, [email protected] Telescopes are on almost every kid's holiday wish list. A telescope is a popular gift, and most manufacturers see a huge increase in sales every November and December. But buyer beware...a telescope…
Leonid Meteor Spectacle Coming Back Soon
November 1, 2002 Contact: Alan MacRobert, Senior Editor 855-638-5388 x151, [email protected] Note to Editors/Producers: This release is accompanied by publication- and broadcast-quality graphics and animations; see details below. After putting on spectacular performances for the last four years running, the Leonid meteor shower will once again sweep over Earth…
Dark-Sky Advocates to Push for Nationwide Lighting Reforms
October 23, 2002 Contacts: Kelly Beatty, Sky & Telescope 855-638-5388 x148, [email protected] Elizabeth Alvarez, International Dark-Sky Association 520-293-3198, [email protected]" Note to Editors/Producers: This release is accompanied by publication-quality illustrations and an animation; see details below. Energy and lighting specialists from throughout the U.S. and Canada are gathering in Boston,…
Starry, Starry Night Becoming a Thing of the Past
The International Dark-Sky Association meets in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, in late October to address the detrimental effects of light pollution in astronomy and other fields.
Harvest Moon Arrives on September 21st
The Harvest Moon is the full Moon closest to the autumn equinox, which occurs this year on September 22-23. What is the Harvest Moon, anyway?
Celestial Anniversary of the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
On July 29, 1945, a Japanese submarine torpedoed the USS Indianapolis after sighting it in moonlight in the Philippine Sea. The astronomical scene repeats on July 29, 2002.
Venus and Jupiter Form a Dazzling Duo
Even the most casual skywatcher will be thrilled with this week's close pairing of two bright planets after sunset.
The Sun Gets a "Moon Bite" on June 10th
Skywatchers west of the Mississippi will see the Moon slide across the face of the Sun — covering more than half of it from many locations.
Dance of the Planets Reaches Crescendo
During the first half of May, all five bright, naked-eye planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn — are well placed for viewing in the western twilight sky about an hour after sunset.
Planets Dance for Annual Astronomy Celebration
The five naked-eye planets have gathered in the western sky after sunset — just in time for "Astronomy Day" on April 20th.
Bright Comet Meets Bright Galaxy
April 1, 2002 Contacts: Roger W. Sinnott, Senior Editor 855-638-5388 x146, [email protected] Alan M. MacRobert, Senior Editor 855-638-5388 x151, [email protected] Note to Editors/Producers: This release is accompanied by four publication-quality illustrations; see details below. Amateur astronomers throughout the Northern Hemisphere have marked Thursday, April 4th, on their calendars. That…
A Bright Comet Returns — 341 Years Later
Independently discovered by two amateur skygazers, Comet Ikeya-Zhang is now passing near Earth on its first return visit since the time of Sir Isaac Newton.