SUNSET: 
S&T's Audio Sky Tour for February 2013
Evening skies feature two bright planets: Mercury, which lurks low in the west after sunset around the 16th, and Jupiter, which reigns high in the southern sky all month long.
Triple Stars in Far-Flung Relationships
New simulations suggest that sometimes "three's a crowd" when stars form — and that chaotic interactions can leave two stars close together and fling a third (such as reddish Proxima Centauri, at left) into a distant orbit.
Radio Astronomy in the Aussie Outback
It's not easy to get to the Murchison Radio Observatory in Western Australia. Being in one of the most remote regions of the country means there's hardly any radio interference that might otherwise compromise the astronomical observations. It's one of the most radio-quiet zones on the planet.
Catch the Quadrantids in Moonlight
Undeniably one of the year's best, the Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on the morning of Thursday, January 3rd. The best viewing opportunity comes between 1 a.m. and dawn, but you'll have competition from a waning gibbous Moon.
Sutter's Mill: A Meteoritic Gold Mine
When a brilliant daylight fireball broke apart over California on April 22nd, professional and amateur meteorite hunters sprang into action — and their effort to recover fragments quickly has been dramatically rewarded.
Sky at a Glance | December 21st, 2012
The bright Moon pairs up in an unusually close conjunction with Jupiter on Christmas night, with Aldebaran, the Hyades, and Pleiades looking on.
Will the World End on December 21st?
Editor in Chief Robert Naeye goes out on a limb and predicts that the world will not end today. But with tongue in cheek, let's count the ways the world could end.
Planets Around Tau Ceti? Not So Fast.
News media have pounced on the recent announcement of a five-planet system around Tau Ceti, a nearby Sun-like star. But is the hubbub merited?
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…
January 28 -February 3, 2013
[skyweekvid id="pxuh6086"]Look just below Orion’s Belt for his Sword. It’s centered on the Great Orion Nebula, which is currently giving birth to hot young stars at a furious rate.
January 21 - 27, 2013
[skyweekvid id="a81g601t"]The Moon forms a spectacular pair with Jupiter high in the southeast. They’re in the constellation Taurus the Bull, which was the first constellation of the zodiac at the dawn of history.
January 14 - 20, 2013
[skyweekvid id="iv63013r"]This is a great week to observe the Moon, our closest neighbor in space. It shows lots of detail to the unaided eye, and it’s amazing through binoculars and small telescopes.
January 7 - 13, 2013
[skyweekvid id="qg18628k"]Auriga the Charioteer is nearly overhead in the evening sky. Its prominent pentagon includes dazzling Capella, meaning She Goat, the sixth brightest star in the night sky.
Toutatis Revealed by Chinese Spacecraft
Chang'e 2, a Chinese spacecraft that was orbiting the Moon 18 months ago, has wowed space-watchers around the world by returning detailed images of asteroid 4179 Toutatis taken during a close-in, high-speed flyby.
Sky at a Glance | December 14th, 2012
Jupiter blazes, Ceres is at opposition with Vesta nearby, and Sirius is in its color-flashing mode after dinnertime.
On the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 17
Forty years after the last human visitors departed the Moon aboard Apollo 17, space historian Andrew Chaikin talks about why we should return.
See Ceres at Its Best for 2012
Ceres, the biggest asteroid and brightest dwarf planet,shines at magnitude 6.9 or brighter from December 12-25.
Hubble Takes Galaxy Census
New observations by the Hubble Space Telescope reveal some of the earliest galaxies in the universe.
Cosmic Relief with David Grinspoon
Life on Saturn’s Moons?
Two worlds will allow us to test contrasting views of planetary habitability
Big River on Titan
The Cassini spacecraft has spotted what could be the longest river system seen beyond Earth. The river looks like it's feeding into a sea on Saturn's moon Titan.
