DIY Project: Make an Eclipse Sundial
Try this solar-eclipse experiment as you're watching the Moon cover up the Sun.
Fuzzy Glows: See Zodiacal Light, Gegenschein, Airglow, and Aurorae
Find time this season to set aside your telescope and seek the night sky's ghostly glows.
Winter's Finest Triple Stars
Double stars are wonderful, but triples are terrific! Here are 16 trios to enjoy the next clear night.
The Best Comets to Look for in 2024
If you like chasing comets, here's a guide to the year's best and brightest.
Asteroid 2024 BX1: From a Light in the Sky to Rocks on the Ground
The asteroid 2024 BX1 went from a moving dot of light to rocks on the ground in mere hours — and amateur astronomers were critical to both discovery and recovery.
Meet Bellatrix, the Amazon Star
It's fitting that Bellatrix, the star at Orion's other shoulder, takes the name of "woman warrior," but it wasn't always that way.
Solar and Lunar Eclipses in 2024
Although no total lunar eclipses occur this year, skywatchers can look forward to two “central” solar eclipses — including a much-awaited total eclipse that spans the U.S. from Texas to New England.
The Night I Met the Crab Pulsar
An account of my journey to the heart of one of most violent cosmic explosions witnessed on Earth. Plus, there's a bright supernova now visible in a Virgo Cluster galaxy.
The Best Meteor Showers in 2024
The beloved Perseid meteor shower of the August vacation season will evade the moonlight in 2024, at least during the best early morning meteor-watching hours. The Lyrids and Geminids aren't so lucky.
Catch Luyten's Star and the Quadrantid Meteor Shower
Relish the slow, steady pace of nearby Luyten's Star then switch things up with speedy meteors from a well-timed shower.
Watch Jupiter's Moons in Unusual Lineups
You'll have five opportunities in the coming months to see Jupiter's moons in interesting alignments.
Vesta Sets Sail Across Orion
Look who's visiting this winter in Orion: Vesta, a bright asteroid with a dark side.
Get Ready to Greet the Geminid Meteor Shower!
The year's most spectacular meteor shower is upon us. Prepare to enjoy the Geminids under a dark, moonless sky, when you might see more than 100 meteors per hour.
How Did the Ancients Predict Eclipses? The Saros Cycle
Before the advent of computers or even a working theory of the solar system, the ancients predicted solar eclipses. How did they do it?
Watch Uranus's Moon Titania Cover a Star Monday Night
Observers across much of the U.S. and Canada have a unique opportunity Monday night, November 20–21, to see Uranus's brightest moon occult a star.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot Just Keeps Getting Smaller
Jupiter's Great Red Spot may be reaching a milestone this year by shrinking to its smallest size in recorded observational history.
Meet Enif, the Nose of Pegasus
Enif, the nose of Pegasus, is a supergiant star and the brightest member of the constellation. Find out more about this star and its place in our skies.
How to See Freaky Starlink "Cluster Flares", Plus the Latest on Comet Lemmon
Alien invasion or flares from satellites in multiple orbits? It depends on your point of view. We also check in on Comet Lemmon, poised to possibly reach binocular-visibility.
Orionid Meteors Fly; Two Moons Shadow Jupiter
Bundle up and enjoy the Orionid meteor shower under moonless skies this week. Don't miss the warm-up act, either, when two of Jupiter's moons pair up in a captivating double-shadow transit.
How to Observe the October 14th Annular Solar Eclipse
If you'll be in the path of the October 14, 2023, annular eclipse, here's what you can look for as the Moon covers the face of the Sun.
