SUNSET: 
Not in Australia? Watch Today's Eclipse Online
Watch today's total solar eclipse even if you haven't traveled Down Under. At 3:35 p.m. EST, the Moonwill cover the Sun for a maximum of 4 minutes and 2 seconds. Two sites will let you see the spectacle live online.
Big Breakout on Jupiter
One of the big planet's iconic dark belts has been roiling with activity, rewarding observers with the most dramatic eruptions there since 1926.
Perseids at Their Prime
The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend, providing skywatchers with a great opportunity to see some incoming bits of the cosmos.
Sunspot 1520 Rolls Into View
The Sun's spottiness continues with a giant magnetic blotch stretched just below its equator.
2012 Venus Transit: S&T Reports
Clouds, veering cabbies, and old optics didn’t deter committed spectators of this last-chance astronomical event.
Join the "Target Asteroids!" Project
If you're an amateur observer with decent equipment and an itch to do some serious observing, a team from the OSIRIS-REx mission wants to hear from you!
Venus Passes the Pleiades
Venus is passing through the Pleiades in a breathtaking spectacle that reaches its peak on April 3rd. This unique pairing is part of a series of Venus events in 2012, culminating in the June transit of the Sun.
Exciting Event on Mars!
Observers are reporting an unusual event on the Red Planet, well placed for western U.S. residents this evening.
The Ultimate Mobile Guide to Saturn
Our new SaturnMoons app guides you around the ringed planet as it brightens in the night sky in advance of an April 28th opposition. Learn about Saturn's bizarre satellite family, then find the moons in your own scope.
Portrait of an Angry Sun
The source of titanic flares this past week, active region 11429 has just rotated off the Sun's disk. But it didn't escape before being captured in all its angry glory by Alan Friedman from his backyard in Buffalo, New York. Here's how he did it.
Mars Takes Center Stage
The Red Planet (actually yellow-orange) is the brilliant "star" climbing steadily in the east these evenings. Now's your best chance to examine our next-out planetary neighbor.
Don't Miss the Brightest Objects in the Night Sky
The night's six or seven brightest objects are all visible simultaneously in late February and early March.
Venus on the Rise
Noticed an exceptionally bright beacon in the evening sky? The planet Venus has begun its highest foray up the sky's dome, surprising at least one casual observer as it prepares for its conjunction with the Moon and Jupiter in March.
Comet Lovejoy: A Solar Survivor
The odds were stacked against it, but a comet discovered just two weeks ago has passed just 116,000 miles from the Sun's surface and — like a celestial phoenix — reemerged into view. Here's the latest on what veteran observer John Bortle calls "one of the most extraordinary events in cometary history."
Comet Garradd in Transition
A decently bright visitor from the solar system’s fringe has lingered in the evening sky for months. As it nears perihelion, Comet Garradd (C/2009 P1) will soon be seen better in northern morning skies before dawn.
Rare Occultation by a Double Asteroid
Early on Tuesday, July 19th, lucky observers along a 120-mile-wide path from north-central California to central Saskatchewan have a chance to watch a big, enigmatic double asteroid briefly cover a relatively bright star in Aquarius.
Even if you're nowhere near the path, one enterprising observer plans a live webcast of the view through his telescopes during the event.
Neptune in Motion
Sky and Telescope's editor Sean Walker puts together NASA's anniversary images of Neptune to create a movie that shows a day on the blue planet.
Happy Birthday, Neptune!
On July 12th, Neptune completed one full circuit around the Sun since its discovery on the night of Sept 23-24, 1846.
A Comet Worth Waiting For?
Observers using the automated Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii have found a new comet. As of right now, it might brighten to 1st magnitude in early 2013, but it's far too early to be certain of that.
Ceres and Vesta in 2011
The two brightest asteroids are in fine view for binoculars or a telescope. Here are instructions and charts to find them.
