SUNSET: 
Tour January's Sky: Planet Pairings at Dawn
January's astronomy podcast describes how to spot Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in the predawn sky during January — plus you'll learn about a "trifecta" full Moon at month's end.
Top 10 Astronomy News Stories for 2017
Multiple gravitational-wave detections, a total solar eclipse, and exploration of the outer system number among the top astronomy news stories of the year.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 29 – January 6
In the evening sky tonight, look lower left of the waxing gibbous Moon for Aldebaran, and upper left of the Moon for the Pleiades.
Solar and Lunar Eclipses in 2018
Two total lunar eclipses occur this year, the first since late 2015, in January and July. Meanwhile, three solar eclipses take place in 2018 — all of them only partial cover-ups.
The Best Meteor Showers in 2018
More than a dozen times each year, we experience a pulse of "shooting stars" from an annual meteor shower. Sky & Telescope predicts that the two best meteor showers in 2018 will be the Perseids in mid-August and the Geminids in mid-December.
What to See with Your New Telescope During 2017 Holidays
Maybe you just got a shiny new telescope to call your own. Congratulations — you could be on your way to discovering many amazing, far, deep things in the night sky. Although most of them are so far and faint that just locating and detecting them is the challenge! Whether…
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 22 – 30
Sirius, the Dog Star, sparkles low in the east-southeast after dinnertime. Procyon, the Little Dog Star, shines in the east to Sirius's left.
Neutron-star Smashup Might Have Choked Its Own Jet
LIGO’s neutron-star smashup might not have been a typical short gamma-ray burst. If true, the detection points toward a new class of gamma-ray bursts — but the jury is still out.
Two Finalists for NASA's New Frontiers
NASA has selected two finalists for consideration as the next New Frontiers mission: a comet sample return and a flying drone for Titan.
What is the Winter Solstice?
The moment the Sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky marks the December solstice, the official beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere (where it is called the winter solstice) and a time of great celebration in many northern cultures.
60-Second Astronomy News: Dec. 20, 2017
This week's roundup of astro news brings us a polar-orbiting planet, a novel way to measure stellar masses, and ginormous convective bubbles on a distant star.
Meet the Shy Side of the Local Group
The Local Group galaxies and their kin are the building blocks of the most magnificent galaxies in the universe. Let them inspire your winter nights.
`Oumuamua: Red, Tumbling, and Silent
Astronomers' recent observations of our first-known interstellar visitor reveal that it is very strange indeed.
Explore The Southern Sky with SkyMapper
A new telescope called the SkyMapper has charted stars and galaxies across the southern sky, producing a map called "the best ever created."
Neural Network Finds 8-Planet System
Scientists have applied a brand of artificial intelligence to data from the exoplanet-hunting Kepler satellite, resulting in the discovery of the first eight-planet system outside our own.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 15 – 23
As the Summer Triangle sinks in the west, Altair is the first of its stars to go. Start by spotting bright Vega in the northwest at nightfall. The brightest star above it is Deneb. Altair is farther to Vega's lower left.
Official Names Approved for 86 More Stars
The International Astronomical Union has given its official approval for 86 star names, following up on last year's announcement of 227 official star names.
AGU 2017: News from the Solar System
Here's a quick look at results announced at the 2017 American Geophysical Union meeting in New Orleans: exploding meteoroids, Saturn's ring-atmosphere connection, and more bright spots on Ceres.
Does New Horizons’ Target Have a Moon? (Update: Nope)
New analysis from the New Horizons team suggest that the spacecraft's next target in the Kuiper Belt might have a third companion.
What's the Thinnest Crescent Moon You Can See?
A slender Moon is an beautiful and inspiring sight. December and January offer several opportunities to see these exceptional crescents.