21–40 of 513 results
Vesta and Orion

Asteroids

Vesta Sets Sail Across Orion

Look who's visiting this winter in Orion: Vesta, a bright asteroid with a dark side.

Geminids 2020

Explore the Night with Bob King

Get Ready to Greet the Geminid Meteor Shower!

The year's most spectacular meteor shower is upon us. Prepare to enjoy the Geminids under a dark, moonless sky, when you might see more than 100 meteors per hour.

Babylonian clay tablet recording eclipses

Celestial Objects to Observe

How Did the Ancients Predict Eclipses? The Saros Cycle

Before the advent of computers or even a working theory of the solar system, the ancients predicted solar eclipses. How did they do it?

Titania from Voyager 2

Occultations

Watch Uranus's Moon Titania Cover a Star Monday Night

Observers across much of the U.S. and Canada have a unique opportunity Monday night, November 20–21, to see Uranus's brightest moon occult a star.

GRS 2017 Juno

Explore the Night with Bob King

Jupiter's Great Red Spot Just Keeps Getting Smaller

Jupiter's Great Red Spot may be reaching a milestone this year by shrinking to its smallest size in recorded observational history.

Enif

Night Sky Sights

Meet Enif, the Nose of Pegasus

Enif, the nose of Pegasus, is a supergiant star and the brightest member of the constellation. Find out more about this star and its place in our skies.

Starlink flares

Explore the Night with Bob King

How to See Freaky Starlink "Cluster Flares", Plus the Latest on Comet Lemmon

Alien invasion or flares from satellites in multiple orbits? It depends on your point of view. We also check in on Comet Lemmon, poised to possibly reach binocular-visibility.

Orionid composite 2015-2022

Explore the Night with Bob King

Orionid Meteors Fly; Two Moons Shadow Jupiter

Bundle up and enjoy the Orionid meteor shower under moonless skies this week. Don't miss the warm-up act, either, when two of Jupiter's moons pair up in a captivating double-shadow transit.

Annular eclipse sequence

Celestial Objects to Observe

How to Observe the October 14th Annular Solar Eclipse

If you'll be in the path of the October 14, 2023, annular eclipse, here's what you can look for as the Moon covers the face of the Sun.

Annular eclipse

Celestial Objects to Observe

Where to Watch the October 14th Annular Solar Eclipse Online

If you can't see the annular solar eclipse in person, we've got some online viewing opportunities for you.

Annular solar eclipse

Celestial News & Events

When It's Eclipse Decision Time, How Do You Decide Where to Go?

Satellite imagery will prove invaluable in making decisions on the day of the annular solar eclipse.

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks outburst

Celestial News & Events

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks (aka the "Millenium Falcon" Comet) Flares Again!

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks has awakened again from its recent slumbers with a fresh outburst. It's now bright enough to see in a modest telescope.

Baily's beads

Eclipses

The History of Baily’s Brilliant Beads

Discover the observations of astronomer Francis Baily as he watched sunlight bead along the lunar limb during an 1836 annular eclipse.

Annular eclipse in 2014

Eclipses

DIY Weather Forecast for the October 14th Eclipse

The October annular eclipse is coming up, and the most important requirement will be clear skies. Here's how to forecast the weather.

Comet 103P/Hartley diffuse appearance

Explore the Night with Bob King

Comet Hartley Comes Home Again; Gegenschein-gazing

Get acquainted with Comet 103P/Hartley. It's been a dozen years since its last bright apparition. While you're at it challenge yourself to spot the elusive gegenschein.

Baily's beads

Celestial Objects to Observe

To Catch Beads of Sunlight, Here's Where You Should Head for October 14th's Annular Eclipse

Some eclipse-chasers will choose to view a “broken ring” and a long display of Baily's beads on October 14, 2023.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Action-packed Sky: Saturn, Comet Nishimura, and More

September is Saturn's time to shine. We also check on Comet Nishimura — now at 5th magnitude and still brightening — and look forward to a dramatic asteroid occultation. Not to mention that Jupiter just took another hit.

Cloud cover along the path of totality will be lesser toward the south

Celestial Objects to Observe

El Niño and the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

What will the ongoing El Niño event do to the chance of cloud cover along the 2024 total solar eclipse track?

Comet Nishimura C/2023 P1

Explore the Night with Bob King

New Comet Nishimura May Become Naked-Eye Bright

Comet Nishimura is quickly brightening in the morning sky and may be faintly visible with the naked eye next month. And on August 24th observers in North America will be treated to an occultation of Antares.

Eclipse map

People, Places, and Events

2024 Total Solar Eclipse: 25 Events, Festivals, and Places to Stay

Some ideas for those who still need a place to go on April 8, 2024, to see the total solar eclipse.