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Stargazing and Skywatching

For more information about what to see in the nightsky tonight and this month, visit our Stargazing page.

Resources

Places to Go, Stars to See June 3, 2010

Equipment Tips May 14, 2010

Pick a Good Viewing Spot May 14, 2010

What to Look For May 14, 2010

Publicly Accessible Telescope Viewing May 14, 2010

Become a Stargazer April 14, 2010

Radio Programs

Circumpolar Stars Stars that never set October 6, 2019

Winter Preview Taking a sneak peek at winter September 29, 2019

Venus Returns Venus tries to climb into view September 28, 2019

Moon and Spica Spinning a star out of view September 1, 2019

Island Astronomy Dark skies off the coast of Africa August 16, 2019

Lahaina Noon The Sun stands high July 14, 2019

Beautiful Pairings Beautiful pairings in the evening sky June 16, 2019

Crow and Cup The dangers of unripe figs April 26, 2019

Venus and Saturn Contrasting planets in the dawn sky February 17, 2019

Daytime Moon A nightlight in the daytime sky January 28, 2019

Lunar Eclipse II A repeat performance for the Moon January 20, 2019

Morning Lights Lighting up the dawn of the new year December 31, 2018

Long-Night Moon Lots and lots of moonlight December 21, 2018

Jupiter and Mercury Bright worlds in the dawn sky December 19, 2018

Comet Wirtanen A special visitor for the bull December 13, 2018

Mars and Neptune  Orange and blue in the evening sky December 5, 2018

Comet Wirtanen A hyperactive comet gets close November 28, 2018

Bright Triangle Picking out a pattern of stars November 17, 2018

Moon and Pluto Lining up with Pluto November 12, 2018

Draconid Meteors Sparks or misfires from the dragon? October 8, 2018

Moon and Aldebaran A last rendezvous September 1, 2018

Venus and Spica Sneaking up on a bright star August 27, 2018

North vs. South North versus south in the evening sky August 19, 2018

Moon and Venus Bright companions for the Moon August 13, 2018

Mars and Company Bright sights in the night sky July 24, 2018

Two Crosses Bright crosses for north and south July 21, 2018

Evening Quartet A beautiful evening quartet July 14, 2018

Summer Triangle Triangulating on the summer sky July 1, 2018

Evening Sights Bright planets in the June sky June 16, 2018

Moon and Venus Bright encounter in the evening sky June 15, 2018

Western Lights Bright lights in the western sky May 28, 2018

Venus and Aldebaran A bright pairing in the evening sky April 28, 2018

Stationary Saturn A “wanderer” stands still April 16, 2018

Mars and Saturn Sibling worlds in the morning sky April 1, 2018

Morning Lineup Starting the week off right February 9, 2018

Red Rivalry Colorful rivals in the dawn sky February 8, 2018

Moon and Companions Changing distance, changing brightness February 7, 2018

Holiday Lights Bright lights in the holiday sky December 31, 2017

Holiday Skies A beautiful sky for a holiday night December 24, 2017

Twinkling Twinkle, twinkle, little star December 23, 2017

Sun Time Clocking some early sunsets December 3, 2017

Bright Pairs Bright pairings in the dawn sky December 2, 2017

Moon, Planets, Meteors Mornings made for skywatching November 15, 2017

Venus and Jupiter Bright planets in the dawn sky November 11, 2017

Bright Sky Filling the sky with light November 4, 2017

Sailing Along Sailing across the celestial sea October 29, 2017

Moon Watching A special night for moonwatching October 28, 2017

Moon and Regulus A big star disappears from view October 14, 2017

Mars and Venus Two planets headed in opposite directions October 4, 2017

Moon in the Middle A beautiful morning lineup September 17, 2017

Moon, Jupiter, and Spica Daylight and darkness in the evening sky August 24, 2017

Eclipse Day Two chances to see an eclipse August 21, 2017

Ready for the Eclipse Getting ready for the big event August 20, 2017

Eclipse Predictions Predicting a skywatching spectacle August 19, 2017

Eclipse Watching Safety tips for a skywatching spectacle August 18, 2017

Morning View Winter skywatching at daybreak August 7, 2017

Venus and Aldebaran A fleeting encounter in the morning sky July 10, 2017

Summer Triangle Triangulating the summer sky June 25, 2017

Venus at Elongation Venus pulls away from the Sun June 2, 2017

Sky Test Testing the quality of the night sky May 19, 2017

Turning Seasons A change of season in the night sky May 14, 2017

More Moon and Saturn Lighting an astronomical intersection May 13, 2017

Moon and Companions Plotting the motions of a giant May 6, 2017

Last Glance A last good look at the hunter April 23, 2017

Moon, Mars, and Mercury Balls of rock in the evening sky March 29, 2017

Venus and Mercury A close pass in the evening sky March 17, 2017

Darker Skies A way to darken the night sky March 12, 2017

Moon, Jupiter, Spica A 3-D journey in the night sky February 14, 2017

Climbing Dipper Following the Big Dipper February 11, 2017

Moon in the Middle Bright stars around the Moon February 7, 2017

Moon and Aldebaran Coloring the eye of the bull January 8, 2017

Dark Skies Why the night sky is dark January 6, 2017

Moon and More Moon, planets, and meteors January 2, 2017

Big Year A big year ahead in the sky January 1, 2017

Moon, Venus, and Mars A quiet New Year’s Eve lightshow December 31, 2016

Christmas Skies The beautiful gift of the stars December 24, 2016

Spring Preview Previewing the spring sky December 23, 2016

Moon and Capricornus Getting a grip on the sea-goat December 3, 2016

Starry Skies Stars and more stars November 22, 2016

Twinkling Twinkle, twinkle, every star October 30, 2016

Moon and Aldebaran Four years of hide-and-seek October 18, 2016

More Moon and Planets Variety in the evening sky October 6, 2016

Moon and Planets The Moon slides by some bright planets October 4, 2016

Messier 39 Taking a wider view of a star cluster September 4, 2016

Venus and Jupiter Bright but hard-to-see planets August 25, 2016

Mars and Antares Rivals line up in the evening sky August 23, 2016

Moon, Meteors, and More The Moon, meteors, and more August 11, 2016

Venus Rising Venus rising in the evening sky August 4, 2016

Sun Walk Walking the path of the Sun July 31, 2016

Bright Lights Looking through the moonlight July 16, 2016

More Moon and Companions Boxing in some bright lights July 14, 2016

Bright and Close Cutting off the light of a star July 9, 2016

Moon and Companions A beautiful evening conjunction June 17, 2016

Disappearing Stars The end of the season for four stars May 23, 2016

Moon and Planets A beautiful morning quartet April 24, 2016

The Whole Gang The worlds of the solar system February 1, 2016

Mars and Meteors Mars, meteors, and the Moon — after this. January 3, 2016

Moon and Mars Lighting up the waning Moon — after this. January 2, 2016

New Year’s Sky A grand view for a new year December 31, 2015

Moon and Companions Bright companions for the Moon December 5, 2015

Venus and Jupiter A great show from the “morning star” October 22, 2015

Mars and Jupiter A close call in the morning sky October 14, 2015

Moon and Companions Bright companions for the Moon October 6, 2015

Lunar Eclipse Lining up a skywatching treat September 25, 2015

Weekend Goodies A great weekend for skywatching September 24, 2015

Morning Lineup Bright lights in the dawn sky September 23, 2015

North vs. South Different views of the night sky September 19, 2015

Zenith Looking straight up September 6, 2015

Venus and Mars Prominent neighbors in the dawn sky August 31, 2015

Changing Addresses Venus moves to the morning sky August 14, 2015

Moon, Saturn, Antares A star of the first magnitude July 25, 2015

Moon and Companions Getting ready to change addresses July 17, 2015

Stairsteps Stepping up the evening sky July 11, 2015

Fireworks Fireworks in the evening sky July 3, 2015

Venus and Jupiter Identifying two evening skylights July 1, 2015

Bright Trios A pair of trios in the evening sky June 28, 2015

Venus and Jupiter Bright planets in the evening sky June 25, 2015

Moon and Companions Bright lights in the evening sky May 21, 2015

Starry Spokes Circling the hub of the northern sky May 14, 2015

Moon and Saturn Optical illusions in the night sky May 3, 2015

Moon and Spica Creeping up on a bright star April 30, 2015

Catching the Rain A lunar cup for catching rainfall April 19, 2015

Moon in the Middle Passing through a bright triangle March 27, 2015

Double Double A double double in the evening sky February 20, 2015

Triple Play A triple play in the evening sky February 18, 2015

Celestial Equator Splitting the night sky in half January 30, 2015

Winter Circle A brilliant ring around the Moon January 29, 2015

Featured Images

Moon and Spica, evening of June 12, 2019

Double Giant June 12, 2019
View of Jupiter's southern hemisphere from June, February 2019

Artistic Giant June 9, 2019
Moon and companions on May 7

Mars in the Middle May 6, 2019
Venus and Saturn in the dawn sky

Dawn Planets February 17, 2019
Comet Wirtanen's path across the December sky

Passing the Bull December 9, 2018
Voyager 2 image of Uranus

Blue-Green Giant October 22, 2018
Moonrise over Yellowstone National Park

Moon Over Yellowstone September 23, 2018

Blue Neptune September 5, 2018
Lineup of Mars and other planets in late July

Brilliant Mars July 23, 2018
Milky Way above Glacier National Park

Galactic Home July 8, 2018
Hubble view of Jupiter, 2014

Beautiful Giant May 7, 2018
Diagram of the Hyades

Facing the Bull April 4, 2018
Sirius, Mirzam, and M41 in Canis Major, the big dog

Doggie Treats March 11, 2018
Sirius and Canopus, early evening, early March

Gold and Silver March 1, 2018
Canis Major

The Big Dog February 20, 2018
The constellation Orion stands above the eastern horizon

Orion Rising December 10, 2017
moonrise at arches national park

Moonwatching October 28, 2017
diagram showing future north stars

Royal Pole Star September 19, 2017
Solar eclipse sequence

Anatomy of an Eclipse August 20, 2017
Proper eye protection is needed for safe eclipse viewing

Safety First! August 18, 2017
Map showing the circumstances of the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse

The Right Path August 14, 2017
Twilight over McDonald Observatory

A Civil Sky June 18, 2017
Lynx in the west, late May

Faint Cat May 25, 2017
Encke's Comet in mid-February

Evening Comet February 16, 2017
A comet in the February pre-dawn sky

Green Visitor February 8, 2017
Moon, Venus, and Mars, evenings of January 30 and 31

Evening Array January 29, 2017
Sunset over the Davis Mountains

Earliest Sunsets December 1, 2016
leonid meteor, 2009

Meteor Time November 16, 2016
Ground-based view of M39 star cluster

Sparkling Cluster September 4, 2016
The bow of Sagittarius

Celestial Bow August 15, 2016
2009 view of Perseid meteors

Rain of Fire August 10, 2016
Planets in the dawn sky, February 2016

The Whole Gang January 31, 2016
Morning alignment of planets, January 2016

Five in a Row January 24, 2016
Moon and companions

Morning Array October 7, 2015

Comet Crawl September 14, 2015
Encounter between Venus and Jupiter, July 2015

Planetary Headlights July 2, 2015
Views of the Venus-Jupiter evening encounter, June 26-July 4, 2015

Brilliant Encounter June 26, 2015
The western evening sky of May 22, 2015

Crowded Skies May 22, 2015
The constellation Corvus, near brilliant Spica

Sailing On May 17, 2015
Fomalhaut in early October

Lonely Star October 1, 2014
A view of the busy Milky Way

Busy Galaxy July 24, 2014

Fading Away June 29, 2014
Diagram of Orion, the hunter

Orion's Belt February 16, 2014
Space station view of Comet ISON and other celestial objects

Doomed Comet December 4, 2013
Eastern dawn sky, early August 2013

Morning Jam August 2, 2013
Planetary conjunction, May 2013

Evening Traffic Jam May 25, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope image of Comet ISON, April 2013

Closing In April 24, 2013
Comet C/2011 L4 Panstarrs in the western evening sky in March

Sneaky Comet March 10, 2013
Comet McNaught, 2007

Bright Interlopers January 2, 2013
Moon, Jupiter, and Taurus, October 4-5, 2012

Bull Rush October 4, 2012
Venus-Regulus encounter in the pre-dawn sky, October 2-4, 2012

Morning Mashup October 1, 2012
First-quarter Moon

Moonwatch September 22, 2012
About one hour after sunset, late August and early September

Red Rivals August 29, 2012
Altair is one of the three planets of the Summer Triangle

Flying Eagle July 12, 2012
Moon and Companions, June 2012

Moon and Company June 25, 2012
Illustration of annular eclipse of May 20, 2012

In the Zone May 18, 2012
Venus and Jupiter pass each other in the evening sky, March 10-14, 2012

Celestial Headlights March 10, 2012
The Moon passes by Mars and the star pattern of Leo, March 2012

Doubly Brilliant March 6, 2012
Mars is at opposition in early March 2012, shining brightest for the year

Mighty Mars March 3, 2012
Earth's atmosphere distorts the Moon as seen from the International Space Statio

Squashed Moon January 17, 2012
The Moon and Hyades, night of January 5, 2012

Staring at the Bull January 5, 2012
Phoenix and Grus in the southern sky, late November evening

Rare Birds November 28, 2011
Moon, Mars, and Aldebaran, July 26-28, 2011

Seeing Orange July 25, 2011
Delta Lyrae and the Summer Triangle

Seeing Double July 10, 2011
Moon and planets in the dawn sky, April 30/May 1, 2011

Dawn Encounter April 29, 2011
Mercury and Jupiter passing in the evening sky

Just Passing By March 13, 2011
Western sky a couple of hours after sunset in late December

Happy Holidays! December 25, 2010
Total Lunar Eclipse of December 21, 2010

Disappearing Moon December 20, 2010
China Clipper Sails the Pacific Ocean

Night Over Water November 22, 2010
Two planets and a star team up with the crescent Moon in the western evening sky

Moon and Companions September 10, 2010

Western Lineup June 27, 2010
Hercules, the strongman, climbs into good view on May evenings

Not-So-Mighty Hercules May 3, 2010

Bright Encounter January 27, 2010