SUNSET: 
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 9 – 17
The Moon, just a day before full, occults Aldebaran Monday night for nearly everyone in North America. And watch for the Geminid meteor shower!
Stargazer's Corner: Adventures Under the Night Sky
"Library Telescope" Program Takes Off
From humble beginnings in 2008, a simple idea — equipping libraries with loaner telescopes — has caught on across the United States.
Supermoon and Geminids Duke it Out
In a spectacular case of bad timing, the full Moon coincides with the annual Geminid meteor shower. Don't feel put out. There's still something for everyone, including a consolation prize.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 2 – 10
Friday and Saturday evenings, the thickening crescent Moon poses with bright Venus in the southwest at dusk. Wednesday marks the year's earliest sunset.
Stargazer's Corner: Adventures Under the Night Sky
Staracle: A Free Star-Naming Service
"Name a star" businesses are approaching their holiday peak. But since personal star names won't be formally recognized anyway, you might as well do it for free.
Tour December's Sky: Orion Arising
Download our monthly astronomy podcast to track down Mercury in the evening sky. Then swing around to the east, to behold Orion, the mighty Hunter, climbing into the sk
Comet Campaign Seeks Imagers Worldwide
Calling all imagers! Three comets will make close flybys of Earth over the next two years. Join a new pro-am effort to make the most of this rare triple play.
Keep Watch for November's Orionid Meteors
Although relatively obscure, this modest display is the strongest meteor shower in late November. Moonless skies make them easier to pick ou
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 25 – December 3
Before and during dawn Saturday morning, the thinning crescent Moon in the southeast is at the bottom of an arc that it now forms with Spica and Jupiter.
Quasar CTA 102: Historically Bright, Violently Variable
The normally faint quasar CTA 102, once thought to harbor an advanced civilization and made famous in a 1967 song by the Byrds, is currently bright enough to see in an 8-inch telescope. In the history of SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, there have been two great false alarms.…
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 18 – 26
With the Moon gone from the evening sky, explore deep-sky sights in Lacerta. Or use only your eyes to see Andromeda Galaxy and the Perseus Double Cluster.
Uranus: In Seventh Heaven with Planet Seven
With our eyes often glued to the bright classical planets, Uranus is easy to overlook. Now well-placed for viewing at a convenient hour, why not pay this pale blue dot a visit the next clear night?
An Off Year for the Leonid Meteor Shower
This year's display of Leonid meteors peaks on November 17th, but they'll be largely washed out thanks to strong interference from the Moon.
The "Supermoon" Observing Challenge
This month's full Moon will appear 16% larger in area than average. But can you tell just by looking at it? Maybe!
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 11 – 19
Saturn is falling ever farther away to the lower right of Venus at dusk. And in the coming weeks and months, watch Venus and Mars draw closer together.
Behold November's Super-Duper Supermoon
You won't want to miss the biggest, brightest full Moon in more than 68 years. Find out what makes this supermoon so special and how best to view it.
What is a Supermoon? Facts vs. Fiction
The perpetuation of the supermoon myth is mostly motivated by desire for publicity. But much of what we call the supermoon is just our eyes playing tricks on us.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 4 – 12
Mars shines to the left or lower of the Moon early Saturday evening. On Tuesday, the Moon is in Aquarius - look to its left for Fomalhaut, the Autumn Star.
The Merope Nebula and Its Well-Kept Secret
Did you know that the brightest part of the Merope Nebula in the Pleiades is also the hardest to see? We'll make sense of this seeming contradiction while honing key observing skills.
Tour November's Sky: Hello, Venus!
Mars is still hanging around, and Venus is climbing higher each evening. Download our monthly astronomy podcast to get more stargazing info.
