Sky at a Glance | January 1st, 2010
The waning Moon passes Mars and Regulus, Orion climbs higher, and Auriga rules the late-evening zenith. And this week the year's latest sunrises happen for mid-northern latitudes — near Earth's perihelion date, by pure coincidence.
S&T's Audio Sky Tour for Janaury 2010
Midwinter evening skies are alive with celestial activity — after sunset you'll find Jupiter in the southwest, and Orion, Mars, and much more over in the east.Host: S&T's Kelly Beatty. (5.9MB MP3 download: running time: 6m 27s)
Tour January's Sky! | December 31st, 2009
Midwinter evening skies are alive with celestial activity — after sunset you'll find Jupiter in the southwest, and Orion, Mars, and much more over in the east.Host: S&T's Kelly Beatty. (5.9MB MP3 download: running time: 6m 27s)
The Pocket Sky Atlas
Compact, convenient, inexpensive, yet amazingly detailed, Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas is a runaway favorite among stargazers.
Sky at a Glance | December 18th, 2009
The crescent Moon points to Mercury in the sunset, then goes by Jupiter. And Jupiter has a conjunction of its own with Neptune.
Sky at a Glance | December 11th, 2009
The Big Dipper is at its lowest in the north in early evening. Mercury is looking good in twilight. Neptune is nearing conjunction with Jupiter. And you may still catch a few stray meteors from the Geminid shower.
Sky at a Glance | December 4th, 2009
Watch for Mercury to emerge low in the sunset this week, and watch for Sirius-rise after dinnertime on the other side of the sky. And get ready for the Geminid meteors, soon to arrive.
Sky at a Glance | November 27th, 2009
The waning gibbous Moon shines near Castor and Pollux in Gemini on Thursday and Friday evenings. Meanwhile Jupiter, edging farther from Earth every week, still shines high in the south in twilight. The Pleiades sparkle in the east after dark, Orion is well up by 9 p.m., Mars rises by 10, and Saturn rises around 2 a.m.
Tour December's Sky! | November 26th, 2009
After listening to this podcast, you'll have no trouble spotting Jupiter, Orion, the Pleiades star cluster, and much more in the evening sky! Host: S&T's Kelly Beatty. (7.3MB MP3 download: running time: 8m 00s)
S&T's Audio Sky Tour for December 2009
After listening to this podcast, you'll have no trouble spotting Jupiter, Orion, the Pleiades star cluster, and much more in the evening! Host: S&T's Kelly Beatty. (7.3MB MP3 download: running time: 8m 00s)
Sky at a Glance | November 20th, 2009
Jupiter, highest in the south at dusk now, continues its busy telescopic activity. Venus is disappearing low in the dawn, but thin-ringed Saturn is rising ever higher before the dawn into good telescopic view.
Sky at a Glance | November 6th, 2009
Orion is making its evening appearance. Jupiter, now highest in the south at dusk, is full of busy activity. And at dawn, Spica (and Saturn high above it) are moving higher while Venus sinks lower.
Sky at a Glance | October 30th, 2009
More mutual events among Jupiter's moons, Mars crossing the Beehive, and the Moon grazing the Pleiades highlight the night sky this week.
Tour November's Sky! | October 29th, 2009
With the return of standard time in the Northern Hemisphere, evenings arrive much sooner than they did just a few weeks ago. That makes it a snap to get in some quick stargazing before dinnertime.
S&T's Audio Sky Tour for November 2009
With the return of standard time in the Northern Hemisphere, evenings arrive much sooner than they did just a few weeks ago. That makes it a snap to get in some quick stargazing before dinnertime. (5MB MP3 download: running time: 5m 27s)
Sky at a Glance | October 23rd, 2009
With Halloween approaching, it's the season for the annual Ghost of Summer Suns. This week also sees a busy schedule of mutual events among Jupiter's moons. And in the early-morning hours, fiery Mars is approaching the Beehive.
Digging Deep in M33
The Triangulum Galaxy shows more detail through backyard telescopes than any other galaxies except the Magellanic Clouds and our own home, the Milky Way. But M33's treasures don't just jump out and grab your eye. To see them, you need dark skies, patience . . . and this guide from the December 2004 issue of Sky & Telescope.
Sky at a Glance | October 16th, 2009
The waxing crescent Moon emerges from the sunset this week. But Jupiter, king of the gods and king of the planets, is also the king target for backyard telescope users these evenings, with lots going on.
Sky at a Glance | October 9th, 2009
Jupiter is a hub of backyard-telescope activity after dark. And Venus, Mercury, and Saturn dance at dawn.
