Barnard's footsteps

Explore the Night with Bob King

Dive Into Scutum's Dark Nebulae

One of the smallest constellations in the sky hosts one of the richest concentrations of dark nebulae. Join me for a dip in these dark pools from which the next generation of stars will be born.

Celestial Objects to Observe

Observing the Great Orion Nebula

This star-studded pool of misty light provides a feast for observers.

Stargazing with Tony Flanders

A Road Map to the North America Nebula

Hanging high overhead on autmun evenings, the North America Nebula is the season's best — assuming that you have dark skies to enjoy it and a good roadmap to help you interpret it.

Celestial News & Events

A Cloudy Comet and a Wispy Nebula

Comet Holmes is greatly dimmed from its glory days last fall, but this week it's passing the photogenic California Nebula.

Stargazing with Tony Flanders

Big Binocular Messier Survey

Big binoculars may not show much detail, but they certain make it easy to find deep-sky objects.

Stargazing with Tony Flanders

Some Suburban Messiers

Celestial showpieces look strikingly different in the suburbs than they do under dark skies.

Stargazing with Tony Flanders

Two Views of the North America Nebula

The North America Nebula in Cygnus is famously visible to the unaided eye under dark skies. But are we really seeing the nebulosity?

Deep Sky

Observing Amazing Nebulae Season by Season

Nebulae are among the most beautiful sights in the night sky but their diffuse nature can make them challenging to locate. Here are a few interesting nebulae, and most are easy to spot.