On the cover: Vincent Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" (© 1998 The Museum of Modern Art)

Sky Almanac
The starry night is just the beginning of the celestial wonders of 1999. Dawn, dusk — even midday for some lucky skywatchers — will feature amazing astronomical sights in 1999. This month's Sky Almanac is available online.

The year's best solar eclipse will treat viewers in Europe and Asia to the full darkness of the Moon's shadow as the path of totality streaks from England to India the afternoon of August 11. A partial solar eclipse with be visible from areas adjacent to the path and for viewers in New England and northeastern Canada. See page 17 for a map and times.

Another solar system neighbor, Mercury, passes in front of the Sun in November — a rare occurrence called a transit. You'll need special, filtered equipment to view both the eclipse and the transit. Never look directly at the Sun.

There's still plenty to see without a filtered telescope or without any telescope at all. Mark your calendar now for the pairing of Venus and Jupiter on February 23 and the gathering of the Moon, Venus, and Regulus on October 5.

Happy stargazing and best wishes for 1999!

Read archived news from StarDate magazine in the Resources section.

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