Orion is making its evening appearance. Jupiter, now highest in the south at dusk, is full of busy activity. And at dawn, Spica (and Saturn high above it) are moving higher while Venus sinks lower.

With the return of standard time in the Northern Hemisphere, evenings arrive much sooner than they did just a few weeks ago. That makes it a snap to get in some quick stargazing before dinnertime.

Anyone who remembers the spectacular displays of Leonid meteors in 1999–2002 would surely love to see them again. Good news! Theorists predict that the Leonids might be back for a modest encore in mid-November 2009.

Sky & Telescope predicts that 2009's best meteor showers should be the Quadrantids, Orionids, and Geminids — with the added possibility of a spectacular outburst from the Leonids in mid-November.

Jupiter is king of the evening sky, but three planets are giving it stiff competition for stargazers' attention in the east before dawn. Sky & Telescope's monthly podcast has all the details!

Jupiter, the King of Planets, has the evening sky pretty much all to itself. But three other planets — Venus, Mercury, and Saturn — are putting on quite a show in the east before dawn.

For the next few weeks, you have the opportunity to spot one of the first asteroids ever discovered.

Backyard astronomers of all types and experience levels can participate in a real-world science project — and help solve a mystery involving the star Epsilon Aurigae that's puzzled astronomers since 1821.

Right now you can watch one of Jupiter's satellites hide another with its own disk or shadow. These pairings only happen every six years!

Check out the impressive interplay of Io, larger Ganymede, and Io's shadow during a remarkable pairing of these Jovian moons captured on August 16th.

Despite moonlight, this year's Perseid meteor shower has been pleasing millions worldwide.

Mark your calendar for August 11th and 12th — even though a last-quarter Moon horns in on the annual show.

If you forgot to check out last night's penumbral lunar eclipse, you didn't miss much!

There's compelling evidence that an asteroid or comet crashed into Jupiter around July 18th, leaving a dark mark that's readily visible through amateur telescopes in good seeing.

Robin Leadbeater of Wigton, UK, has reported the first sign of the long-awaited eclipse of Epsilon Aurigae, one of the most remarkable eclipsing variable stars in the sky.

From August 2nd to 5th, the 6th-magnitude star 45 Capricorni masquerades as a fifth moon of Jupiter, forming striking patterns with the Galilean moons. And at the peak of the action, the star passes behind Jupiter's disk.

Early Friday morning, two spacecraft will slam into a permanently shadowed crater near the Moon's south pole in the hope of finding water there.

On October 9th NASA scientist intend to make a big splash near the Moon's south pole — with an arsenal of telescopes looking on from Earth. Now they've narrowed the choices of which crater will be in the cross hairs.

The century’s longest solar eclipse is about to sweep across China and the Pacific. Eclipse-chasers from around the world are counting down the hours until July 22nd.

The Grand Canyon Star Party is one of the largest public star parties in the United States.

The recurrent nova U Scorpii leaps from 18th to 8th magnitude in just a few hours about every decade. A new prediction method says it's likely to blow in 2009. Here's where to keep watch.

Take advantage of Saturn's nearly edge-on orientation to see Titan and its shadow crossing Saturn's bright face during April, May, and June.

Thousands of telescopes are given and received as gifts during the holidays. But once you've assembled your new treasure, then what? The editors of Sky & Telescope have created a special section of easy-to-grasp introductory skywatching articles just for you!

Get ready for the total solar eclipse of the century — along with a hard-to-reach annular eclipse and a handful of modest lunar eclipses that take place during the International Year of Astronomy.