SUNSET: 
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 24 – March 4
Sirius blazes high in the south these evenings, with bright Canopus due south below, and on Sunday, February 26th, Mars and Uranus are in conjunction.
February 26th's Annular Solar Eclipse in 2017
Die-hard eclipse chasers have journeyed to the Southern Hemisphere to catch a short but dramatically thin "ring" eclipse of the Sun this weekend.
Three Crescents and a Sinking Comet
If you're crazy about crescents, you'll find your happy place this week between the Moon and Venus. Meanwhile, we shift our focus from 45P/H-M-P to another famous periodic comet, 2P/Encke.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 17 – 25
After dinnertime at this time of year, five carnivore constellations are rising upright in a ragged row. Orion stands highest in early evening.
Hidden Gems in Common Deep-Sky Objects
Many of the deep-sky objects we point our telescopes toward have pleasant surprises, some in plain sight, others hidden and more challenging. Let me introduce you to a few.
Comet 45P Returns to Dark Skies
With the Moon out of the picture, amateurs can once again check in on comet 45P/H-M-P, now making an appearance in the evening sky.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 10 – 18
See a full Moon on Friday and, for most of the Americas, catch a very deep penumbral eclipse of the Moon that happens around sunset or in early evening.
Green Comet 45P Makes Close Earth Flyby
Green-glowing 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova will make an unusually close pass by Earth on Saturday. Watch it boogie across the morning sky this week!
February's Deep Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
North American observers can watch the Moon flirt with Earth’s shadow on the evening of February 10th.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 3 – 11
The first-quarter Moon on Friday is high in the south at sunset. After dark it balances on the dim head of Cetus. Spot Pleiades to its upper left.
Star-Trapping in Orion's Trapezium
Take a high-power ride to seek out baby stars and clotted clouds within the heart of the Orion Nebula.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 27 – February 4
After dark the Great Square of Pegasus is sinking down in the west, to the right of Venus and Mars. The Big Dipper is creeping up in the north-northeast.
Tour February's Sky: How To Find Monoceros
Download our monthly astronomy podcast to spot Venus and Mars in the west — and a celestial unicorn hiding in plain sight among the stars.
Get Your Iridium Fix Before It's Too Late!
The shock and dazzle of Iridium flares will soon be a thing of the past. Here's how to make the most of seeing them before they're replaced by a new generation of satellites.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 20 – 28
After dinnertime this week, the Winter Triangle glitters in the southeast. Sirius is its lowest and brightest star, Betelgeuse above, and to their left Procyon.
See Mercury First, Then Have Breakfast
Late sunrises make it easy to follow the parade of planets at dawn, including a nice apparition of Mercury this week with three successive lunar conjunctions.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 13 – 21
On Saturday, the waning gibbous Moon and Regulus rise around 8 p.m. They'll part ways through the night as the Moon moves east along its orbit.
The Spotless Sun
The Sun has been unusually quiet lately. Since the start of 2017, only a single tiny sunspot has made a brief appearance on the solar disk.
Explore Craters in the Lunar Arctic
Put on a coat, set up your scope, and become a polar explorer as we visit off-the-beaten-path craters and maria in the Moon's arctic vastness.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 6 – 14
The waxing gibbous Moon shines below the Pleiades and right of Aldebaran Saturday evening - watch the Moon's dark limb occult a star later that night.
