SUNSET: 
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 21 – 30
The Moon hops past Venus and then Mars. Hydra snakes up, the Pointers point down, and the Arch of Spring spans the west.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 14 – 23
Venus shines with Aldebaran and the Pleiades in late twilight. After sunset on the 20th, try to spot your record-breaking thinnest young Moon. And Leo walks west with a mouse-galaxy dangling from his chin.
How to Use Your Smartphone to Shoot a Solar Eclipse
Read this advice from expert eclipse-chasers before you use your smartphone to photograph a solar eclipse.
Eclipse Photographer’s Checklist
For those preparing to photograph a total solar eclipse, Fred Espenak shares his eclipse photography checklist.
Images to Inspire: Solar Eclipse Pictures
We've gathered some of the best pictures of past solar eclipses, total and partial, from our online photo gallery to serve as inspiration for your eclipse photography
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 7 – 16
Venus in the western twilight guides the way down to Mercury. The Pleiades pass by Venus far in its background. And can you find the head of Hydra?
Meet Elnath in the Horn of the Bull
Elnath, the bright, blue-white star that marks one of the horns of Taurus, is a peculiar star in its own right.
April: Mercury & Venus at Their Best
This month’s episode offers an easy-to-follow guide to finding the solar system’s two innermost planets after sunset. And then it takes you on a guided tour of the rest of the key stars and planets that you’ll see on April evenings — a fun and informative way to introduce yourself to the nighttime sky!
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 31 – April 8
Mercury emerges this week far below Venus at dusk, while Venus makes its way toward the Pleiades. Orion turns his belt horizontal for the warming weather.
Pleasures of Lunar Pareidolia
Do you still see animal shapes in clouds? If so, you'll enjoy doing the same with the Moon, home to the Moon Maiden, a giant pair of scissors, and other fantastic specters of light and shadow.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 24 – April 2
The Winter Hexagon fills the west after dark. The waxing Moon steps east across the evening sky from Venus past the Pleiades, then past Mars.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 17 – 26
The crescent Moon visits Venus. The Orange Triangle turns nearly equilateral. And as evening grows late, Arcturus begins to dominate the low northeast. It's turning spring.
Anticipating Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3)
Newly discovered Comet C/2023 A3 might reach naked-eye brightness when it flies past Earth in 2024. Check out our forecast of what to expect to see in the months ahead.
Tell Time with the Big Dipper; See Ceres Transit a Spiral Galaxy
Phone battery dead? Learn how to tell time with the Big Dipper. Also, don't miss a remarkable transit of Ceres in front of the bright spiral galaxy M100.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 10 – 19
Venus and Jupiter widen in twilight. Mars, Aldebaran, and Betelgeuse form a triangle of similar orange sparkles. And there's lots to explore with optical aid off the trailing foot of Gemini, including the Toes.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 3 – 12
Venus and Jupiter draw majestically apart in the evening twilight, 1° farther each day. Much higher, Mars makes its third pass in the last five months between the horntip stars of Taurus.
Aurora Season Is Underway
These are the nights to get ready for the auroras — and tonight may be your lucky night. Not only is the current solar cycle swiftly intensifying, March is one of the best times of the year to see the northern lights.
March: The Winter Hexagon
As the Northern Hemisphere edges toward the March equinox and beyond, stargazers have an abundance of brilliant stars overhead as darkness falls. Anchoring the celestial parade is Orion, the Hunter. Download or listen to this month’s Sky Tour to learn about — and how to spot — the Winter Hexagon of big, beautiful winter stars.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 24 – March 5
Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest celestial objects after the Sun and the Moon, shine together in the western twilight before, during, and after their March 1st conjunction.
Stargazer's Corner: Adventures Under the Night Sky
Fortune Favors the Prepared Astrophotographer
An unexpected total lunar eclipse surprises an amateur astrophotographer.
