SUNSET: 
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 1 – 9
It's early March, so the Winter Triangle balances on Sirius after dark. The Gemini twins float high across the meridian. Leo jumps the gun on spring.
March Podcast: A Barely-There Lunar Eclipse
As told in the latest episode of our long-running Sky Tour astronomy podcast, this month it’ll be challenging to a special kind of lunar eclipse on March 25th — but easy to spot five of the 10 brightest stars in the night sky.
How Dark Does It Get During a Total Solar Eclipse?
Totality may not be quite as dark as nighttime, but the difference between 99% obscuration and 100% is still night and day.
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.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 23 – March 3
The full Moon splits the Sickle, the dawn Moon occults Antares, carnivore constellations stand up in the east, and the zodiacal light is at its evening best.
Astronomy for "Cloudy, Cloudy Nights"
If you have clouds in your forecast, don't give up! There’s plenty of astronomy to be enjoyed even on overcast nights.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 16 – 25
The Moon waxes from first quarter to full this week, traveling from the Pleiades past the not-quite-twin heads of Gemini to the Sickle of Leo. The Big Dipper and Cassiopeia stand in balance. Venus meets Mars low in the dawn.
Southern Stargazing with Jonathan Nally
Get to Know the Carina Constellation
The southern constellation Carina contains arguably the best nebula in the sky, along with a host of other fascinating stars and clusters.
Winter's Finest Triple Stars
Double stars are wonderful, but triples are terrific! Here are 16 trios to enjoy the next clear night.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 9 – 17
The first-quarter Moon passes the Pleiades, then Aldebaran. Cassiopeia stands on end. For the southern U.S., Canopus culminates far under Sirius.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 2 – 11
Under Orion is the Hare, which you may know, and under the Hare is the Dove, which you may not. February the best month for both.
February Podcast: Orion and His Cosmic Critters
As told in this month’s Sky Tour astronomy podcast, Orion, the Hunter, dominates February’s evening sky, but he seems unaware of the cosmic prey that surrounds him.
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.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 26 – February 4
Orion anchors both the Winter Triangle and the Winter Hexagon. So does the Meat Cleaver in Canis Major. Jupiter regards them from high to their right.
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.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 19 – 28
Jupiter shines high, bright, and obvious after dusk. Mercury and Mars glimmer low, dim, and elusive for their close conjunction in the dawn.
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.
