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Venus full circle

Observing

Venus Farewell, Moonless Skies for the Quadrantids

Venus presents a stunning crescent at dusk before switching over to the morning sky early next month. After dodging the Moon for the Geminids, it's dark skies all around for the Quadrantid meteor shower.

Jupiter and Saturn in evening sky, Christmas Eve 2021

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 17 – 25

Dramatic Venus is becoming a dramatically thinner, larger crescent the southwestern twilight. A few people can even resolve the crescent naked-eye. Saturn and Jupiter stay lined up behind it. And the bright winter constellations officially come into their own with the turning of the solstice.

Moon padding Pleiades and Aldebaran, Dec. 16-17, 2021

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 10 – 18

Comet Leonard switches from low in the dawn to low in the dusk this week; you'll need those binocs. The Venus-Saturn-Jupiter line slides westward. And the high full moon of December rides across the sky in Taurus, at the top of the ecliptic.

a solar eclipse above a cloud bank with a dark blue sky turning orange towards the horizon

People, Places, and Events

Total Solar Eclipse: Reports from Antarctica

Sky & Telescope and friends report on the total solar eclipse that occurred over Antarctica earlier this week.

Comet Leonard meets M3

Solar System

See Comet Leonard at its Best

The year's brightest comet is now on display in the predawn sky this week and next. Here's how to find it.

Crescent Moon and Venus at dusk, Dec. 6-7, 2021

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 3 – 11

The crescent Moon at dusk hangs under Venus, then Saturn, then Jupiter. Comet Leonard is at its best before dawn. And welcome in, Orion!

Auriga Taurus Gemini and Orion

Sky Tour Astronomy Podcast

December: Geminid Meteors & Comet Leonard

December’s solstice brings the longest northern nights, and it’s a busy month for stargazers: the Geminid meteors, a visit from Comet Leonard, and a plethora of bright stars and constellations.

Proxima Centauri flare

Celestial Objects to Observe

Meet Proxima Centauri: The Closest Star

Proxima Centauri is the dimmest and smallest of the Alpha Centauri system, but it has the honor of being the nearest star.

Moon crossing Leo at dawn, Nov. 26-28, 2021

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 25 – December 4

While the Jupiter-Saturn-Venus line keeps shrinking, all kinds of deep-sky sights, naked-eye to telescopic, show themselves on these moonless evenings.

Galaxies in Cetus

Celestial Objects to Observe

Deep-sky Fishing in Cetus, the Whale

Small telescopes can reel in some big ones in the constellation Cetus, the Whale.

Moon and Aldebaran, Nov. 19, 2021

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 19 – 27

Orion now rises in the east around 8 p.m. Will Betelgeuse or Rigel be the first of his bright stars to come up? That depends on your latitude; Los Angeles and Atlanta are balance points. The Pleiades and Aldebaran watch this scene from high above.

Spica points the way to low Mercury and Mars in the dawn, mid-November 2021

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 12 – 20

Venus, Jupiter and Saturn highlight the dusk. Mercury and Mars are a dawn challenge. And get ready for the barely-almost-total eclipse of the Moon.

Moon passing Venus at dusk, Nov. 7-8, 2021

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 5 – 13

In the evening sky the waxing Moon walks up past Venus, then Saturn and Jupiter day by day. And we're in the season of the Summer Triangle Effect.

Pegasus Pisces Andromeda

Sky Tour Astronomy Podcast

November: A Flying Horse and Star Fish

With darkness coming earlier now, take advantage of November's clear evenings to explore the nighttime sky with our audio guided tour.

Moon, Mercury, Spica low in bright dawn, Nov. 3, 2021

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 29 – November 6

The moonless evenings this week offer three bright planets and deep-sky riches as deep as you can go. Meanwhile, the waning crescent Moon meets Mercury and Spica low in bright dawn.

Earth and Uranus compared

Solar System

Uranus Queues Up for Opposition

Journey to a remote planet then double back to check in on the latest stirrings of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann before touching the finger of dawn.

Moon with Aldebaran and Pleiades, Oct. 22-23, 2021

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 22 – 30

As fall proceeds, Jupiter and Saturn shift westward and tilt ever more steeply. Venus gets a little higher and brighter. The waning Moon passes the Pleiades. And as Halloween approaches, Arcturus becomes the Ghost of Summer Suns.

Green aurora above a lodge with lights on and dark trees on the horizon line.

Celestial Objects to Observe

How to Photograph the Northern Lights

Follow these tips to help capture auroral displays.

Jupiter impact flash Oct. 15, 2021

Solar System

Jupiter Whacked Again? Japanese Astronomers Record Possible Impact

A group of Japanese astronomers just discovered a potential new impact at the planet Jupiter.

International Observe the Moon Night 2021

People, Places, and Events

International Observe the Moon Night 2021

Join fellow lunar enthusiasts all over the world in celebrating the Moon this weekend.