SUNSET: 
Quest for the Green Flash
If you like sunrises and sunsets, look for the green flash, a phenomenon that happens more often that you think.
Observe Changes on Mars
The nearby Red Planet displays remarkable changes every apparition. Whenever Mars approaches opposition, keep an eye out for some of these differences.
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!
Meet Betelgeuse, the Red Giant of Orion
Betelgeuse, the brilliant red star at the right shoulder of Orion, is a supergiant whose girth extends out to the orbit of Jupiter.
Vesta Gets Close and Bright
Vesta, the brightest asteroid, puts on one of its best shows ever in June, when it shines enough to see without optical aid.
Spice Up Your Space Station Watching
The annual International Space Station marathon is underway with multiple passes visible each night. Here are some fun and unique ways to see and share it.
Observing Carbon Stars
Expand your observing plans by adding a few of these red-orange carbon stars.
Dwarf Nova V392 Persei Goes Big — It's Now Binocular Bright
In a rare move, a sleepy cataclysmic variable blows its top and suddenly becomes a nova.
Meet Polaris, the North Star
Meet Polaris, the North Star. It's not the brightest star in the sky, but it's within a degree of the north celestial pole.
Asteroid 113 Amalthea to Occult Star
Here's an opportunity for amateur astronomers to reveal more about asteroid Amalthea's satellite.
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.
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.
Meet Sirius, the Brightest Star
Meet the stars near Earth, starting with the brightest: Sirius, the "Dog Star."
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.
Full Moon Is Tycho Time
With this week's full Moon, the dazzling crater Tycho will be in full regalia. Time to catch some rays!
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.
Humanity Star: Bright Idea or Dark Sky Nemesis?
The launch of the Humanity Star has some fuming, others smiling, at the prospect of seeing a bright, new satellite. What do you think?
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.
Catch these Comets in 2018
We look ahead to see what fuzzy visitors, new and returning, will brighten the nights ahead. One and possibly two naked-eye comets are on the way.
Asteroid 3200 Phaethon: Geminid Parent at Its Closest and Brightest!
The parent asteroid of next month's Geminid meteor shower, 3200 Phaethon, is about to make a historically close flyby. Get ready to watch it race across the sky.
