SUNSET: 
Vesta in Virgo
During April, Vesta has many close encounters with members of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster.
Lunar Occultation Highlights for 2003
Dozens of times this year, no matter where you live, the Moon can be seen hiding bright stars in its path. Here's when and where you can watch the Moon occult these stars.
Dust Storm on Mars
A large regional dust storm has enveloped several thousand square kilometers of the red planet and shows no signs of abating.
Auroras Light Up the Sky
Many skywatchers who kept an aurora vigil during the morning hours of October 29, 2003, were richly rewarded by a spectacular display.
Solar Flare Spawns More Aurora
For the second time in two nights, an explosion on the Sun triggered a widespread display of the northern lights, this time during the evening of October 30, 2003.
Crescent Moon Occults Venus
On Sunday evening, October 26th, Venus disappears behind the crescent Moon for observers in South America and Hawaii.
Mars: The Show Continues
Mars will remain a fiery yellow-orange beacon in the evening sky during the first half of September and will shrink and fade only a little until well into October.
Another Martian Dust Storm
Less than one month after a localized dust storm appeared on the Martian surface, another dust cloud has spring up.
Mercury Transits the Sun
When this innermost planet passes between the Earth and the Sun on May 7th, it will appear as a tiny black "sunspot" in small telescopes.
Catch Hermes on the Fly
Since 1937, Hermes has made eight unseen flybys past Earth. In late October, the asteroid will be 13th magnitude — bright enough to be seen in scopes 10-inches and larger.
Upcoming Asteroid Occultation
S&T illustration. A few minutes before 5:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 24th, the 170-kilometer-wide minor planet 334 Chicago passes in front of the 8.5-magnitude star SAO97327 in Gemini. The nominal path for this event crosses Philadelphia (at about 9:57 Universal Time) and continues westward across Lake Michigan, just…
Jupiter's Moon Dances
Every six years, for a few months at a time, Jupiter's satellites engage in a wonderful variety of alignments. They're starting up again.
An Observer's Guide to Mars
In 2001 the red planet swung closer to Earth than it had since 1988. It'll be even better in 2003. Here's an observer's guide from the 2001 opposition to whet your appetite for 2003.
Mercury Transit Tales
Mostly clear skies in Europe, the Far East, and Australia meant that many amateurs were able to view this rare event.
Viewing Mercury at Its Best
Fast-moving Mercury can be elusive. But spotting this sparkling little planet is easy if you know where and when to look.
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in 2003
With our detailed charts, you'll be able to locate the outer planets Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto the rest of the year.
Mars Glides Between Two Nebulae
During the predawn hours of March 5th and 6th, watch as Mars glides between a close pair of nebulae — the Lagoon (M8) and the Trifid (M20).
Crescent Moon Joins Three Planets at Dawn
The waning crescent Moon helps point the way to Mars, Venus, and Mercury before sunrise on Monday through Wednesday mornings.
A Star Prepares to Blow Its Top
Easily found with the naked eye, 4th-magnitude Rho Cassiopeiae may be getting ready for an enormous mass ejection in the next few months.
Saturn Transits the Crab
During the night of January 4–5, North American observers are well positioned to watch Saturn transit the face of M1, the Crab Nebula. But will the glare from the planet obscure the nebula?
