Explore the Night with Bob King
Celebrate Spring with the Lyrids
People have been watching the annual Lyrid meteor shower for more than 2,700 years. Come join the crowd!
Comets to View in 2022
Like comets? We've got 11 frozen fuzzies to share with you in the coming months, including a couple that could become fine binocular objects.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Will Saturn Sprout Spots this Observing Season?
As Saturn returns to the morning sky, will this otherwise serene-looking planet experience another bout of severe weather? Keep your eyes peeled for white spots!
Explore the Night with Bob King
Uncovering Secrets of Earth's Shadow
The daily rising and setting of Earth's shadow is a beautiful sight anyone on the planet can view. It's also an opportunity to witness the rapid changes that accompany sunset or sunrise, but at the opposite end of the sky.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Reveling in the Winter Milky Way
With the Moon departing the evening sky, now's a good time for a closer look at the northern winter Milky Way and its southern summer counterpart, too. No equipment required!
Explore the Night with Bob King
See the Sun from Other Stars
We journey to distant suns to look back at our solar system and see its place among the stars.
Set Your Sights on This Lunar Bull’s-Eye
Go ahead, live on the edge: Grab your chance this month to see Mare Orientale, one of the most spectacular lunar seas most people have never seen.
Watch an Asteroid Race Across the Sky
The kilometer-wide, potentially hazardous asteroid 1994 PC1 will fly past Earth on January 18th. Good news on two counts: It won't hit us, and it's bright enough to see in a 4-inch telescope.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Comet-seeking on Cold, Crunchy Nights
Did the recent apparition of Comet Leonard whet your appetite for more of these beautiful unpredictables? Here are five more you can see with your telescope this season.
Comet Leonard: A Gift at Christmastime
Multiple bright outbursts have transformed Comet Leonard into a stunning photographic object that’s also visible without optical aid from southern locations. More disruptions are likely in store as it approaches perihelion.
Venus Farewell, Moonless Skies for the Quadrantids
Venus presents a stunning crescent at dusk before switching over to the morning sky early next month. After dodging the Moon for the Geminids, it's dark skies all around for the Quadrantid meteor shower.
Precious Hours with the Geminids
At first glance, the annual Geminid meteor shower appears to be on a collision course with a bright Moon. But a closer look reveals a happy window of dark skies.
See Comet Leonard at its Best
The year's brightest comet is now on display in the predawn sky this week and next. Here's how to find it.
A Near-Miss Total Lunar Eclipse
A near-total lunar eclipse will be widely visible across North America on the night of November 18–19. Dress warmly and go for it!
Explore the Night with Bob King
Uranus Queues Up for Opposition
Journey to a remote planet then double back to check in on the latest stirrings of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann before touching the finger of dawn.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Jupiter Whacked Again? Japanese Astronomers Record Possible Impact
A group of Japanese astronomers just discovered a potential new impact at the planet Jupiter.
How Bright Will Comet Leonard Get?
We examine circumstances and expectations for the current apparition of Comet Leonard, which may become the year's brightest comet.
Comet 29P Undergoes Brightest Outburst in Recent Years
Catch one of the most active small bodies in the solar system during a rare superoutburst.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Cassiopeia Cornucopia — Pretty Little Clusters All in a Row
See nine unique open clusters in Cassiopeia while barely moving your telescope.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Asteroid Pallas Makes a Point in Pisces
Spice up your fall observing with a dash of Pallas and nibble of Neptune. Both planet and asteroid are easy to spot in a small telescope.