SUNSET: 
Sky at a Glance | November 9th, 2012
Jupiter rises before dark, Fomalhaut culminates early, Orion rises a bit later, and the crescent Moon moves from dawn back to dusk.
Sky at a Glance | November 2nd, 2012
Jupiter, flanked by Aldebaran and Beta Tauri, shines big and bright just a month from opposition.
About Meteors
Meteors, meteoroids, meteorites, and fireballs — keep all these look-alike terms straight.
Tour November's Sky! | November 1st, 2012
Mars is very low in the west after sunset, and Jupiter rises a couple hours later. But most of the planetary action is in the eastern sky before dawn.
Sky at a Glance | October 26th, 2012
The Moon shines with forthcoming winter sights low in the east, while summer stars still descend in the west — including Arcturus, now taking on its guise as the Ghost of Summer Suns.
S&T's Audio Sky Tour for December 2012
Mars lurks low in the west after sunset, just as Jupiter rises dramatically in the east. Meanwhile, a mythic tale unfolds among the stars and constellations overhead.
Sky at a Glance | October 19th, 2012
The crescent Moon points to the pairup of Mars and Antares, then the gibbous Moon glides below the Square of Pegasus, and Arcturus becomes the Ghost of Summer Suns.
Sky at a Glance | October 12th, 2012
Jupiter has been climbing into good view a half hour earlier every week, accompanied by a grand retinue of celestial objects seen and unseen. On the other side of the sky, Mars is finally passing rival Antares in twilight.
Sky at a Glance | October 5th, 2012
Algol eclipses itself. Telescopic action happens at Jupiter. And after pairing up with Jupiter, the waning Moon passes Regulus and Venus late in the week at dawn.
Astronomy and Stargazing Projects
A Star Count for Everyone
Take part in this year's Great World Wide Star Count, and you'll be joining thousands of other "citizen scientists" in raising dark-sky awareness around the globe.
Sky at a Glance | September 28th, 2012
The Harvest Moon wanes from full almost down to last quarter this week, stepping past the Pleiades, Aldebaran, and Jupiter along the way.
S&T's Audio Sky Tour for November 2012
Mars is very low in the west after sunset, and Jupiter rises a couple hours later. But most of the planetary action is in the eastern sky before dawn.
Sky at a Glance | September 21st, 2012
Waxing from first quarter to full this week, the Moon steps across the evening constellations from south to east. To observe Jupiter, you no longer have to set an alarm clock. And don't miss the weekend conjunction of Uranus and a similar star.
Sky at a Glance | September 14th, 2012
The waxing crescent Moon steps up past Saturn, Mars, and Antares day by day this week. Jupiter is well up in the east by midnight. And Deneb replaces Vega at a special spot.
Sky at a Glance | September 7th, 2012
Jupiter and Aldebaran embrace the rising last-quarter Moon, then it's Venus's turn with a one-on-one Moon pairing. Meanwhile, the stars of the evening are unmistakably turning toward fall.
Tour September's Sky! | August 31st, 2012
Some of this month's sky sights are low down along the horizon: Saturn and Mars in the west after sunset, the first-quarter Moon in the south, and Jupiter when it rises around midnight in the east.
Americans Will See Total Solar Eclipse in 2017
Mark your calendars for August 21, 2017 — when the Moon's umbral shadow will race coast to coast across the United States for the first time in nearly a century.
S&T's Audio Sky Tour for October 2012
Mars is managing to hang on low in the west after sunset, while in the east you'll see the Square of Pegasus and, later on, the giant planet Jupiter.
Tour October's Sky! | August 27th, 2012
Mars is managing to hang on low in the west after sunset, while in the east you'll see the Square of Pegasus and, later on, the giant planet Jupiter.
Where Does the Phrase "Once in a Blue Moon" Come From?
We'll see a "blue Moon" next Friday, but what does that mean? From the Middle Ages to the game of Trivial Pursuit, a folklorist explores the origin of the phrase.
