2002

First Lights: What to See with Your New Telescope
Dec. 26, 2002 | Every holiday season thousands of new telescopes are received as gifts. But what to look at? This winter the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn beckon. Here's how to find them, and what you can expect to see.

December Solstice Signals the Start of a New Season
Dec. 16, 2002 | On December 21st, at 8:14 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the Sun will reach its southernmost point in the sky for the year. This moment marks the December solstice, the official beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

Geminid Meteors Sweeping Toward Earth
Dec. 10, 2002 | Expect to see a meteor every few minutes on the night and early morning of December 13–14. Here's some advice on how, when, and where to look.

Sky & Telescope Launches German Edition
Nov. 21, 2002 | Astronomie Heute (Astronomy Today), the German edition of the world's most respected astronomy magazine, will be published bimonthly starting in February 2003.

Telescope-Buying Tips for the Gift-Giving Season
Nov. 18, 2002 | Telescopes are popular holiday gifts. But buyer beware: a telescope should not be bought on impulse. If you get one that can't be aimed or focused, it'll collect more dust than starlight.

Leonid Meteor Spectacle Coming Back Soon
Nov. 1, 2002 | After putting on spectacular performances for the last four years, the Leonid meteor shower is due to sweep across Earth again during the early-morning hours of Tuesday, November 19th.

Dark-Sky Advocates to Push for Nationwide Lighting Reforms
Oct. 23, 2002 | Astronomers, policymakers, and lighting specialists will gather in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 25–26 for the fall 2002 meeting of the International Dark-Sky Association. They'll take aim at the ubiquitous pall of urban skyglow known as "light pollution," its effects on our health and our society, and what can be done to halt and reverse its spread.

Harvest Moon Arrives on September 21st
Sept. 16, 2002 | The Harvest Moon is the full Moon closest to the autumn equinox, which occurs this year on September 22-23. But what makes this full Moon so special?

Fall Begins on September 22nd...or Is It the 23rd?
Sept. 13, 2002 | The beginning of fall this year will pose a bit of a quandary for weather announcers and others in the news media. Autumn starts on September 22nd or 23rd, depending on what time zone you’re in.

Perseid Meteors to Peak on August 12th
Aug. 8, 2002 | The annual Perseid meteor shower — one of the year's best — peaks in a moonless sky on Monday, August 12th, with European and North American observers positioned for the best show.

Celestial Anniversary of the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
July 25, 2002 | On July 29, 1945, a Japanese submarine torpedoed the USS Indianapolis after sighting it in moonlight in the Philippine Sea. The astronomical scene repeats on July 29, 2002.

The Sun Gets a "Moon Bite" on June 10th
June 6, 2002 | Skywatchers west of the Mississippi River will see the Moon slide across the face of the Sun — covering more than half of it from many locations.

Venus and Jupiter Form a Dazzling Duo
May 31, 2002 | Even the most casual skywatchers will be captivated by a close pairing of the two brightest planets after sunset in early June.

Dance of the Planets Reaches Crescendo
May 2, 2002 | During the first half of May all five naked-eye planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn — are well placed for viewing in the western twilight sky about an hour after sunset.

Planets Dance for Annual Astronomy Celebration
Apr. 12, 2002 | The five naked-eye planets have gathered in the western sky after sunset — just in time for "Astronomy Day" on April 20th.

Bright Comet Meets Bright Galaxy
Apr. 1, 2002 | Comet Ikeya-Zhang, now visible in the evening sky, skirts near the famous Andromeda Galaxy on April 4th.

A Bright Comet Returns — 341 Years Later
Mar. 7, 2002 | A new comet spotted on February 1st by two backyard skywatchers should be easy to see throughout March and April.

Moon to Cover Saturn on February 20th
Feb. 19, 2002 | The Moon sweeps across the ringed planet Saturn on Wednesday, February 20th, for skygazers in North America. The event occurs in early-evening darkness in the Northeast.