SUNSET: 
Community Leaders: Notable Astronomers
Giorgia Hofer, Nightscape Astrophotographer
An Italian accountant, captivated by the sky since childhood, learned astrophotography to bring the heavens home with her.
Top Astronomy News Stories of 2020
This has been a year rocked by a global pandemic that has left its mark on nearly every aspect of society. Wildfires, social unrest, and loss have only added to our sense of struggle. Yet it has also been a year of celestial wonders, astronomical discoveries, and space successes. We…
September 2020: Four Planets & More!
Take advantage of September's beautiful evenings to gaze upward as you listen to our guided tour of the star-filled sky.
Delays in International Deliveries of Sky & Telescope
We are distressed to hear numerous reports from international readers about delays in receiving their issues of Sky & Telescope magazine. Some readers haven’t received their most recent issues at all. Here’s what’s happening and what we can (and can’t) do about it. International Mail Service During the Pandemic The…
Chase a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid As It Flies by Earth
Break out your binoculars or a small telescope, we've got a busy week ahead! Watch as a bright asteroid approaches Earth, the Moon steals a star, and Comet ATLAS's last hurrah.
April 2020: Planets Aplenty
This month's Sky Tour astronomy podcast highlights how Venus flirts with the Pleiades star cluster after sunset, then leads you to views of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars together in the predawn sky.
Curiosity's Discoveries on Mars
After four Earth years on the Red Planet, the intrepid rover has found evidence of long-gone water and habitable environments.
Astrophotography with Jerry Lodriguss
Experiencing the Total Solar Eclipse
Take it from a seasoned professional — the best way to experience a total eclipse, especially your first, is by eye. Put the camera down!
Are You Game for April's Lunar Observing Challenge?
With astronomy being celebrated around the globe this month, join the fun by participating in a unique lunar observing challenge: track down 20 features once thought to show evidence of change from weather, geology, and even life.
How to Make a Simple Backyard Observatory
Dennis di Cicco's "doghouse" observatory progressed from an idea to a working observatory in less than three weeks during the fall of 1982. You too can quickly build a basic telescope shelter.S&T / Dennis di Cicco Home observatories have always been a part of amateur astronomy, but they seem to…
Dating an Impressionist's Sunset
S&T contributing editor Don Olson writes a feature article in the February 2014 issue connecting astronomy to Monet. We follow his team of celestial sleuths as they travel to Normandy, France to pin down the exact time and location of one of Claude Monet's most beautiful paintings. This gallery of…
South Pole Science
A behind-the-scenes look at the construction of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica, plus more information about science done at the South Pole. (This blog is an online companion to our January 2014 feature article on IceCube.)
How to Stay Warm at Night
It's easy to stay warm on cold winter nights if you dress appropriately — and take a few common-sense precautions.
The Greatest Comets of the Past Century
In the November 2013 issue of S&T, Joe Rao redirects Comet ISON speculation to answer a different question: just how often do showstopper comets grace our skies? His answer might surprise you. Rao looks back over all the comets of the past century, calling out examples of showstoppers, showpieces, and…
How ALMA Works Its Magic
ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) / C. Malin In the November 2013 issue of S&T, I write about a revolutionary new telescope being built in the Chilean Atacama Desert. The Atacama Large Millimiter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) explores a little-known region of the electromagnetic spectrum, waves that are longer than the farthest infrared but shorter…
Quasi-Periodic Oscillation (QPO)
Star-Shredders in Action
In the cover story of the June 2013 issue, Suvi Gezari takes us into the den of hibernating black holes, showing us what happens when a star tickles the nose of a powerful beast: the black hole rips the unlucky star apart, lighting a flare that can be seen from…
Interview with Exoplanet Expert Greg Laughlin
An artist's illustration of a potential exoplanet named Fomalhaut b. If it exists, this planet may have migrated to its current orbit.ESA / NASA / L. CalcadaIn the May 2013 issue of S&T, astrophysicist Greg Laughlin of the University of California, Santa Cruz — a leading expert on extrasolar planet…
Guide to Messier 101
This is the web supplement to Howard Banich's article "The Determined Observer's Guide to M101," in the June 2013 issue of Sky & Telescope. In it, Banich describes observing M101 with his motorized 28-inch alt-azimuth Newtonian, preparing the sketch shown below at low resolution. M101 is extraordinarily rich in active…
A Civil War Submarine and the Moon
In the February 2013 issue, the article “The Moon and the Mystery of the Hunley” by William Stevenson describes how the tides and the phase and position of the Moon played a role in the first successful submarine attack in naval history. The assault took place during the American Civil…
Auroras Off the Page
Watch animations, listen to the aurora, and download forecast apps as part of our Beyond the Printed Page content for the February 2013 cover story.
