SUNSET: 
Observe Mysterious Mercury
Mercury, probably the least observed of the eight major planets, is well placed in the evening sky during the first half of February 2007 for observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Tour December's Evening Sky
Brave the cold and take in the winter's beautiful stars! Download this MP3 file to your iPod or other handheld device to learn how to view the Geminid meteors, Cassiopeia and her dysfunctional family, and more! (5.4MB file; hosted by Kelly Beatty, editor of Night Sky magazine.)
Tour November's Evening Sky
Download this MP3 file to your iPod or other handheld device to learn how to view the transit of Mercury on November 8th, the Leonid meteors, and more! (5.6MB file; hosted by Kelly Beatty, editor of Night Sky magazine.)
Tour February's Sky — By Ear and Eye!
Sure it's cold outside, but on February evenings you can spot wonderful Saturn rising in the east. To find out how, download our podcast to your iPod or other handheld device!
Inner Planets in the Evening
Venus and Mercury shine in the west after sunset. The pair will be closest on Sunday evening.
Get Hooked on the Ringed Planet
It's nearly full Moon, so you might need an excuse to go outside and brave the frigid weather. Here's a great one: treat yourself to the majesty of Saturn. Right now the planetary gem is shining in Leo at magnitude 0.0, and it is currently the brightest it will be for many years to come.
Friday's Stellar Vanishing Act
This coming Friday morning you'll need only binoculars, a clear sky, and the right location to witness the best asteroid occultation visible in the continental US during the last quarter century.
Comet Tail Still Visible Up North
It's been several days since anyone in the Northern Hemisphere saw the head of Comet McNaught. But the comet's tail is so bright and long that numerous northern observers have spotted it two or more hours after the head has set. All you need to try is a site with a good western horizon that's far from any artificial light pollution.
Comet McNaught, Spectacle of the Far-Southern Sky
As of January 18th, Comet McNaught is barely visible from the Northern Hemisphere, but the show is just beginning for observers at mid-southern latitudes.
Comet McNaught Heading South
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, Friday was your last good opportunity to catch Comet McNaught in the evening twilight — though January 13th isn't completely out of the question. On January 14th or 15th, the comet will become a showpiece for observers in the Southern Hemisphere.
Your Comet McNaught Images
Although Friday is the last good chance for folks in the northern hemisphere to catch Comet McNaught, the reports are streaming in and the comet is clearly a hit! Check out our McNaught photo gallery. We've posted more than three dozen of your pictures already — and we are anxious to see more.
S&T Observes Comet McNaught
At latitude 42° north, Sky & Telescope's offices are fairly well placed for viewing Comet McNaught. And since we're in the eastermost major city in North America, we get to see the comet slightly ahead of most of our readers. Here are some of the observations made by S&T editors.
Comet McNaught Brightening
Comet McNaught has brightened rapidly in the last few days. It's now bright, beautiful, and, if you're fairly far north, easy to see at dawn and dusk — if you know where to look and have an unobstructed horizon and perfect conditions. It's now a naked-eye spectacle from far northern latitudes, where the observing geometry is most favorable. The farther south you live, the lower the comet is in the twilight.
The Ringed Planet Returns
After several months with no bright planet well placed in the evening sky, Saturn returns to easy visibility in January, making a striking formation together with the Sickle of Leo. And on Saturday, North Americans can witness a close conjunction of the Moon and Regulus, Leo's brightest star.
January's Surprise Comet
A major comet, known as Comet McNaught or C/2006 P1, is right now making its way through the inner solar system. It’s already as bright as the brightest stars, but it is also sticking close to the glare of the Sun.
Tour January's Sky by Ear
January nights may be cold, but they boast a spectacular array of constellations. Our podcast will guide you through this month's sky with no need to fuss with paper or red flashlights.
Sky Highlights of 2007
As in any year, the starry heavens unroll with the seasons, and our solar system provides ever-changing sights much closer to home. Here's a taste of special events to watch for in 2007.
Celestial Omens
Go out at dusk to see Venus and the crescent Moon pair up. It is always a sight to behold when the brightest objects in the evening sky get together.
A Reason to Rise
Most of us consider weekends a time for sleeping in, but skywatchers who get up before the Sun are presently in for a treat. A trio of planets will dance with the bright star Antares, and on the mornings of the 17th and 18th there will be a guest appearance by the waning crescent Moon. The performance is free, but clear skies and an unobstructed southeastern horizon are required.
Aurora Watch!
Talk about a red-letter night for astronomy. Not only are Geminid meteors still raining down from the skies, there is a major aurora alert in effect for Thursday and Friday. No telescope needed. Just get outside and look up.
