SUNSET: 
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 2 – 10
Mercury and much brighter Venus glow shyly side by side very low in the west in twilight early in the week, then they slowly pull farther apart.
Tour March's Sky: Planet Peeks at Dusk
With winter's chill fading away, this is a great time to gaze up into the stars — and to be ready for an evening appearance by fleet-footed Mercury. This month's astronomy podcast guides you around the nighttime sky.
Full Moon Is Tycho Time
With this week's full Moon, the dazzling crater Tycho will be in full regalia. Time to catch some rays!
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 23 – March 3
Friday, February 23 • First-quarter Moon (exact at 3:09 a.m. on this date EST). For North America this evening, the Moon shines left or upper left of Aldebaran, and farther upper right of Orion, as shown here. The Moon occults Aldebaran in daylight or twilight for northern and western…
Venus Peeps Back Into View at Dusk
After a long drought, a bright planet emerges in the western sky. Welcome back, Venus!
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 16 – 24
Now the waxing crescent Moon is easier to see in the west-southwest after sunset. Its curved side points the way down toward Venus.
A Winter Night's Sojourn in Orion's Belt
Orion's Belt is a magnetic sight on February nights. Take the bait and revel in a bounty of double and multiple stars, nebulae, and more.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 9 – 17
Sirius the Dog Star blazes in the southeast after dinnertime, the brightest star of Canis Major. Orion stands high to its upper right.
Stargazer's Corner: Adventures Under the Night Sky
rDUINOScope Boiana: DIY Go To Unit
Frustrated with the high cost of a proprietary Go To, the author developed a free, open source, DIY option, rDUINOScope Boiana.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 2 – 10
The Winter Hexagon fills the sky toward the east and south these evenings. Start with brilliant Sirius at its bottom. Going clockwise from there, march up through Procyon, Pollux and Castor, Menkalinan and Capella on high, down to Aldebaran, then to Rigel in Orion's foot, and back to Sirius.
Tour February's Sky: Treats for Early Risers
February's astronomy podcast offers you a trio of bright planets to spot before dawn and a plethora of bright stars to check out each evening.
Humanity Star: Bright Idea or Dark Sky Nemesis?
The launch of the Humanity Star has some fuming, others smiling, at the prospect of seeing a bright, new satellite. What do you think?
The "Trifecta" Lunar Eclipse on January 31st
Get ready for a celestial event — a total lunar eclipse during the month's second full Moon and near lunar perigee — that hasn't happened in 35 years!
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 26 – February 3
The Moon, two days past first quarter, shines to the right of Aldebaran and lower left of the Pleiades. The Great Square of Pegasus is sinking in the west.
What is the Saros Cycle and How Does It Foretell Eclipses?
A slow, relentless rhythm, known as the saros cycle, is hidden away in the movements of the Moon and Sun. How does it foretell eclipses — and how could Babylonians discover its existence long before modern science and technology?
Make the Most of January's Total Lunar Eclipse
An unusual dawn total lunar eclipse presents special challenges and great photo opportunities. Here's what you need to know to make the most of it.
Hunters Recover Meteorites From Michigan Fireball
A spectacular fireball seen by hundreds of people from Iowa to Ontario delivered precious samples from the asteroid belt to the lake country of southern Michigan Tuesday night.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 19 – 27
Sirius twinkles brightly below Orion in the southeast. Around 8 p.m. Sirius shines straight below Betelgeuse in Orion's shoulder.
Mira Makes January Nights "Wonderful"
Mira, one of the easiest-to-observe pulsating variable stars, reaches peak brightness this month. Don't be shy, come look her in the eye.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 12 – 20
Friday, January 12 • Sirius, the Dog Star, rises in the east-southeast around the end of twilight now, if you're near latitude 40° north (New York, Denver, Madrid, Athens). From such latitudes, Procyon — left of Sirius, by 2½ fists at arm's length — precedes it up; "Procyon" is from…
