Welcome to the beginning of the end.

No, we're not talking about the dreaded Y2K bug. Instead, we mean the last year of the 20th century and the second millennium AD: the year 2000. Most people think this is the beginning of the third millennium, but it's not. The confusion is caused by the way we count years (and fingers, toes, and most everything else): We start at one, not zero. As a result, the first century AD began with the year 1, and ended 100 years later — with the year 100. The 20th century began on January 1, 1901, and ends on December 31, 2000.

No matter how you count the centuries, though, this year offers a bevy of beautiful skywatching sights: a total lunar eclipse, a good meteor shower, the possibility of strong displays of the "northern lights," and a partial solar eclipse on Christmas Day. You can find all the details in this issue.

And if you celebrated the turn of the millinneum at the end of 1999, there's one consolation: you can do it all over again this year.

Read archived news from StarDate magazine in the Resources section.

Every issue of StarDate also includes monthly star charts and stargazing highlights, plus stunning astronomical images.

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