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Mercury March 7, 2016

Earth’s Moon February 19, 2016

Jupiter's Moons February 19, 2016
Saturn's rings

Saturn February 10, 2016
Jupiter

Jupiter February 10, 2016
Mars

Mars February 10, 2016
Venus

Venus February 10, 2016
Virgo, the virgin

Virgo October 4, 2011
Aquarius

Aquarius October 4, 2011
Cancer, the Crab

Cancer, the Crab October 4, 2011
Libra, the Scales

Libra, the Scales October 4, 2011
Pisces, the fish

Pisces, the Fish October 4, 2011
Aries, the ram

Aries, the Ram October 4, 2011

The Solar System: Home Sweet Home August 12, 2010

Astronomical Firsts June 10, 2010

Remnants from the Beginning June 10, 2010

Realm of the Giants June 10, 2010

Exploring Our Own Back Yard June 10, 2010

Places to Go, Stars to See June 3, 2010
Orion, the Hunter

Orion, the Hunter May 25, 2010
Gemini, the Twins

Gemini, the Twins May 25, 2010
Auriga, the Charioteer

Auriga, the Charioteer May 25, 2010
Taurus, the Bull

Taurus, the Bull May 25, 2010
Perseus, the Hero

Perseus, the Hero May 25, 2010
Pegasus, the Flying Horse

Pegasus, the Flying Horse May 25, 2010
Cassiopeia, the Queen

Cassiopeia, the Queen May 25, 2010
Capricornus, the Sea-Goat

Capricornus, the Sea-Goat May 25, 2010
Scorpius, the Scorpion

Scorpius, the Scorpion May 25, 2010
Sagittarius, the Archer

Sagittarius, the Archer May 25, 2010
Cygnus, the Swan

Cygnus, the Swan May 25, 2010
Aquila, the Eagle

Aquila, the Eagle May 25, 2010
Ursa Major, the Great Bear

Ursa Major, the Great Bear May 25, 2010
Leo, the Lion

Leo, the Lion May 25, 2010

Exploding Stars May 21, 2010

Cosmic Beacons May 21, 2010

Equipment Tips May 14, 2010

Pick a Good Viewing Spot May 14, 2010

What to Look For May 14, 2010

Become a Stargazer April 14, 2010
A giant plume of hot gas explodes from the Sun's surface. Giant bubbles of hot g

Our Star, the Sun June 8, 2006

Radio Programs

Leap Day Leaping with the seasons February 29, 2016

Moon and Mars A neighbor world gets brighter February 28, 2016

Moon and Spica The end of a long journey February 26, 2016

Moon and Jupiter The might of a giant planet — after this. February 23, 2016

Moon, Regulus, and Jupiter Powering up curtains of light February 22, 2016

Moon and Regulus Marking the rhythms of the sky February 21, 2016

Arrow of Time Going forward in time February 16, 2016

Moon and Companions Two planets without moons February 5, 2016

Moon and Venus A “liquid” atmosphere for Venus February 4, 2016

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

Moon and Spica Filling a lunar “ocean” January 29, 2016

Moon and Jupiter A big moon takes a beating January 26, 2016

Moon and Regulus A stellar “king” and his entourage January 25, 2016

Big Dipper Clock Ticking off the hours of the night January 22, 2016

Moon and Aldebaran Years of playing “peek-a-boo” January 19, 2016

Zapped! Zapped by the Sun — twice January 18, 2016

End of the River A river that ends twice January 17, 2016

Eridanus A footstool for the hunter January 16, 2016

Bigger and Hotter Jacking up a star’s brightness — after this. January 11, 2016

Sirius Two dogs that are moving apart — after this. January 10, 2016

Moon and Companions Building a mound on the Moon — after this. January 6, 2016

Moon and Venus Dropping in on a nasty planet January 5, 2016

Tau Ceti Visiting a dusty star system — after this. January 4, 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

Winter Circle Circling around the winter sky December 26, 2015

El Nath Sharing a bright star December 20, 2015

Crab Nebula A crab scuttles across the sky December 14, 2015

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

Moon and Mars A frozen treat on the Red Planet December 4, 2015

Moon and Jupiter The master of a busy domain December 3, 2015

Orion Nebula Looking into a cradle of young stars December 2, 2015

Venus and Spica A star that’s more than meets the eye December 1, 2015

Venus and Mars Planets huddle close in the dawn sky November 1, 2015

Halloween Haunting stars in the evening sky October 31, 2015

EV Lacertae A tiny star with a big temper October 30, 2015

Sheratan The hidden nature of a binary star October 24, 2015

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

Moon, Saturn, Antares Tracking Saturn across the sky October 15, 2015

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

Morning Mercury A dark planet in the dawn sky October 9, 2015

Moon and More Companions Filling up a Martian crater October 7, 2015

Triangulum Galaxy A busy member of the Local Group October 5, 2015

Big Story A big-screen story in the autumn sky September 27, 2015

Blood Harvest Super Moon Lining up names for the full Moon September 26, 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

Moon and Antares Ticking off the hours of the night September 18, 2015

Moon, Venus, and Mars Ancient Mars cools off September 8, 2015

Moon and Venus Beauty and fire in the dawn sky September 7, 2015

Zenith Looking straight up September 6, 2015

Capricornus Bright non-companions in the sea-goat September 4, 2015

Moon and Aldebaran A stellar disappearing act September 3, 2015

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

Shergotty A piece of Mars falls from the sky August 24, 2015

Moon and Saturn Probing the heart of a giant August 20, 2015

Heating Saturn Heating up Saturn’s interior August 18, 2015

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

Moon and Aldebaran Similar but different lights near the Moon August 6, 2015

Blue Moon Modern folklore about the night sky July 29, 2015

Moon and Saturn Following a stately planet July 24, 2015

Moon and Spica Frozen in place in lunar skies July 21, 2015

The Stinger The scorpion’s bright stinger July 18, 2015

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

First Stars II Brilliant clusters in the early universe July 16, 2015

The First Stars Whipping up the first stars July 15, 2015

Stellar Metals A difference between young and old stars July 14, 2015

Stairsteps Stepping up the evening sky July 11, 2015

Earth at Aphelion Stretching out the summer July 4, 2015

Fireworks Fireworks in the evening sky July 3, 2015

Venus and Jupiter Identifying two evening skylights July 1, 2015

Leap Second Stretching out the month of June June 29, 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

June Solstice Celebrating the June solstice June 20, 2015

Moon and Jupiter Plunging into a hidden ocean June 19, 2015

Moon and Venus Losing our eyes and ears on Venus June 18, 2015

Martian Spring Wild seasons on the Red Planet June 17, 2015

Thuban Lining up an ancient wonder June 12, 2015

Ocean Lost A massive ocean on the planet Mars June 3, 2015

Moon and Antares Digging up some lunar history June 1, 2015

Moon and Saturn Pinpointing a giant planet May 31, 2015

Moon in Balance Bringing a constellation into balance May 30, 2015

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

Moon and Venus The “evening star” slows down May 20, 2015

The Crow A confusing layout for a faint constellation May 16, 2015

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

Hercules Handing down pictures of the stars May 10, 2015

Bear’s Nose The shiny nose of the great bear May 9, 2015

Fast Neighbor A “runaway train” in the stars May 5, 2015

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

El Nath Location, location, location May 2, 2015

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

Unpredictable Sun Predicting our unpredictable Sun April 28, 2015

Brighter Sun The Sun gets a lot brighter April 27, 2015

Solar Fusion The Sun shines on and on and on April 26, 2015

Evening Mercury Measuring a planetary day April 25, 2015

Moon and Venus Double “smacks” for a young planet April 20, 2015

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

Venus and Aldebaran Battle of the sexes in the evening sky April 14, 2015

Twin Monsters Giving life to a classic story April 4, 2015

Lunar Eclipse Lining up a total lunar eclipse April 2, 2015

Eclipses Through the Ages A legacy from 1492 April 1, 2015

Denebola The “dusty” tail of the lion March 30, 2015

Moon and Regulus The intertwined lives of two stars March 29, 2015

Moon and Jupiter Dipping into a giant hot tub March 28, 2015

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

Alphard A long but barren constellation March 22, 2015

Moon and Venus Shaking up the solar system March 21, 2015

Moon and Mars Warming up a cold planet March 20, 2015

Solar Eclipse Extra darkness for the Arctic March 18, 2015

The Hunting Dogs A pair of hunting dogs without much bite March 15, 2015

Moon, Saturn, and Antares Heating up the Moon’s interior March 11, 2015

Moon and Spica Safety first around an amazing star March 7, 2015

Moon and Regulus A royal heart for a royal beast March 2, 2015

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

Triple Play II Two very different neighbors February 19, 2015

Solar Max Taking a look at the busy Sun February 13, 2015

Morning Moon A bright future for the scorpion February 11, 2015

Bright Merger The fireworks of a hostile takeover February 10, 2015

Moon and Spica A touch of fall near the Moon February 7, 2015

Jupiter at Opposition A big showing for a big planet February 5, 2015

Moon and Regulus Settling the dust on the Moon February 3, 2015

More Moon and Jupiter The Moon stays active February 2, 2015

Brackets Bright lights bracket the evening sky January 31, 2015

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

Perseus Taking the measure of a monster January 24, 2015

Occultations Illumination from darkness January 22, 2015

Moon and Mars Asteroids take aim at Mars January 21, 2015

Moon and Venus Venus’s nightside goes green January 20, 2015

Orion’s Head Heading for the top of the hunter January 17, 2015

Moon and Companions A brilliant presence in the night sky January 15, 2015

Venus and Mercury Pointing the way to a little planet January 9, 2015

Sirius Rising The Dog Star climbs into winter evenings January 3, 2015

Close to the Sun Snuggling close to the Sun January 2, 2015

Featured Images

Total lunar eclipse, October 2014

Lunar Eclipse September 26, 2015

First Eyes on Mars July 13, 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
A mosaic of spacecraft images shows the varied surface of Ganymede

Hiding an Ocean June 20, 2015
The western evening sky of May 22, 2015

Crowded Skies May 22, 2015
Sunset at Gale Crater, Mars, April 2015

Blue Skies May 14, 2015
View of Loki Patera, a lake of molten rock on Io, a moon of Jupiter

Hot Lake March 29, 2015
Space-based view of solar eclipse of March 20, 2015

Disappearing Sun March 20, 2015
Artist's concept of Solar Max in orbit

Sun Watcher February 14, 2015
Cassini view of Jupiter from 6 million miles

Turbulent Giant February 6, 2015
Composite image of the Sun

Hot Sun December 24, 2014
Curiosity rover view of rock layers inside Gale Crater on Mars

Ancient Lakebed December 9, 2014
Superflare on one of the stars of DG Canum Venaticorum

Tiny Star, Big Outburst December 3, 2014
Artist's concept of Epsilon Aurigae

Playing Frisbee November 23, 2014
Postcard of the historic Elgin Watch Company Observatory in Illinois

Star Time October 25, 2014
Jupiter's radiation belts

Jovian Shields October 15, 2014
India's Mars Orbiter Mission

On Target Again September 24, 2014
Artist's concept of MAVEN orbiting MARS

On Target September 20, 2014
The Moon occults Dabih, a star in Capricornus

Celestial Cover-Up September 5, 2014
Hubble Space Telescope view of Jupiter, Ganymede

Layer-Cake Moon August 15, 2014
Artist's concept of Solar Orbiter

Feeling the Heat July 4, 2014
Europa orbiter mission concept

Fresh Idea July 3, 2014
Venus, Mercury, and the earthshine-illuminated crescent Moon

Lighting the Shadows May 30, 2014
Views from the 1964 World's Fair

Space Fair April 22, 2014
Artist's concept of early morning fog, clouds, and frost on Mars

Morning Fog April 8, 2014
Venus Express movie showing south polar vortex

Double Vortex March 27, 2014
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter view on lunar north polar regions

Top o' the Moon March 19, 2014
Diagram of Orion, the hunter

Orion's Belt February 16, 2014
A discharge of energy from the Z Machine at Sandia National Laboratories

Zapped! February 3, 2014

Peek-a-Boo January 31, 2014
Superman's back story may have been inspired by an exploding star

Exploding Stars December 14, 2013

Almost Ready November 18, 2013
Launch of MAVEN spacecraft to Mars

On Its Way November 18, 2013
Artist's concept of MAVEN Mars orbiter

Mars Maven November 17, 2013
The life and times of William Herschel

Stellar Musician November 14, 2013
The Great Square of Pegasus

Double Duty September 12, 2013
LADEE launch, September 6, 2013

Moon Bound September 7, 2013
Composite Galileo image of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io

Jovian Adventure August 30, 2013

Saturnian Heat Rays August 21, 2013
The star Gamma Cas blows away gas from a nearby nebula

Star Blaster August 18, 2013
Eastern dawn sky, early August 2013

Morning Jam August 2, 2013
One of the first images from IRIS, a new Sun-watching satellite

First Sunlight July 31, 2013
Cassini monitors Saturn's magnetic field

Radio Story July 16, 2013
View of the 30 Doradus star cluster and the massive binary system R144

Megastars July 9, 2013
MESSENGER view of crater Degas on Mercury

Painting a Planet June 17, 2013
Kasei Valles, an ancient flood channel on Mars

Ancient Flood June 10, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope image of M101

Stellar Pinwheel May 31, 2013
Planetary conjunction, May 2013

Evening Traffic Jam May 25, 2013
Combined visual and millimeter-wave view of Orion Nebula, M42

Cold Fire May 16, 2013
GRAIL map of lunar surface gravity

Lunar Lumpiness April 14, 2013
Cassini views Saturn's magnetic field

Solar Sculptor March 1, 2013
The starry ceiling of Grand Central Terminal

Grand Sky February 2, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope view of globular cluster M2

Stars Galore January 6, 2013
Artist's concept of the Sun's structure

Powerhouse December 17, 2012
Gravitational map of the Moon compiled by the GRAIL mission

Lunar Attraction December 15, 2012
Hubble image of an edge-on galaxy, ESO 318-13

All that Glitters December 4, 2012
Orion, Jupiter, and other sights in late November

Orion Rising November 26, 2012
Voyager 1 view of Jupiter's cloudsk

Artistic Clouds November 1, 2012
Cassini view of Saturn, October 2012

Saturn Looms Large October 18, 2012
The 'lucky' stars of Aquarius

'Lucky' Stars October 6, 2012
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
Recent image from Mars rovers Curiosity and Opportunity

Mars Targets September 29, 2012
First-quarter Moon

Moonwatch September 22, 2012
Infrared image of the star Fomalhaut (center) and surround debris ring

Messy Building Zone September 18, 2012
Andromeda and the Milky Way head for a galactic pile-up

Collision Course September 12, 2012
Artist's concept of the Gamma Cephei star system

Stellar Geometry September 4, 2012
About one hour after sunset, late August and early September

Red Rivals August 29, 2012
Solar eclipse of August 19, 1887, from near Berlin

Fire in the Sky August 18, 2012
Early view of the rim of Gale Crater

Inside the Wall August 12, 2012
Mars Science Laboratory heatshield falls away

Martian Litter August 10, 2012
August 8, 2012, view of Mars from the Curiosity rover

Getting Acquainted August 8, 2012
Composite view of Curiosity rover landing and operating on Mars

Drop In, Stay Awhile August 6, 2012
Alexandria, Egypt, as seen from the International Space Station

City of Power July 20, 2012
False-color view of Comet Swift-Tuttle, 1992

Swift Comet July 16, 2012
Moon and Companions, June 2012

Moon and Company June 25, 2012
Apollo 17 at the rim of Shorty Crater, December 1972

Back to the Moon(rocks) June 11, 2012
June 5, 2012, Venus transit from International Space Station

Seeing Spots June 9, 2012
Diagram of Venus transit of June 5, 2012

Sun Spot June 4, 2012
Partial lunar eclipse of June 4, 2012

Lunar Nibble June 2, 2012
Hercules, the strongman, depicted as he rises in the eastern sky

The Strongman May 22, 2012
Illustration of annular eclipse of May 20, 2012

In the Zone May 18, 2012
Saturn's moon Titan floats in front of the giant planet

Moon on a String May 11, 2012
Saturn's battered moon Tethys seen by the Cassini Spacecraft, April 14, 2012

Wrinkly Moon April 17, 2012
Saturn and its rings as seen by Cassini

Subtle Color April 15, 2012
Water geysers from the south pole of Enceladus, a moon of Saturn

Leaking Moon March 26, 2012
Hubble Space Telescope view of Cat's Eye Nebula, a planetary nebula

Blowing Bubbles March 13, 2012
Newborn stars in the Orion Nebula

Bright Babies March 1, 2012
Voyager mission enhanced-color image of Jupiter's Great Red Spot

Planetary Impressionism February 26, 2012
The Carina Nebula, a massive stellar nursery

Star Factory February 13, 2012
Dark lunar features are named seas or oceans

Split Personality February 9, 2012
Sirius B, the white-dwarf companion to Sirius, compared to the size of Earth

Stellar Afterlife February 1, 2012
A January 23, 2012 solar flare

Restless Sun January 30, 2012
Infrared view of the spiral galaxy IC 342

Tangled Galaxy January 22, 2012
Earth's atmosphere distorts the Moon as seen from the International Space Statio

Squashed Moon January 17, 2012
Infrared view of starbirth in the vast nebula complex Cygnus X

Busy Nursery January 13, 2012
M1, the Crab Nebula, in a Hubble Space Telescope image

Crab Nebula January 6, 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
2011 image of the Apollo 12 landing site, from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Still Standing September 9, 2011
Delta Lyrae and the Summer Triangle

Seeing Double July 10, 2011
Atlantis launches on the final space shuttle mission, July 8, 2011

Last Call July 8, 2011
A painting by Andrew Wyeth depicts preparations for a Gemini launch in the 1960s

Ready for Liftoff May 30, 2011
Moon and planets in the dawn sky, April 30/May 1, 2011

Dawn Encounter April 29, 2011
Image of water distribution in northern hemisphere of Mars

Watery Mars April 14, 2011
Streamers of dust partially obscure the "seven sisters," members of the Pleiades

Veiled Sisters April 6, 2011
MESSENGER's first color image of Mercury, March 29, 2011

First Glimpse March 31, 2011
Mercury and Jupiter passing in the evening sky

Just Passing By March 13, 2011
Lunar crater gouged by Apollo 14 booster rocket

A Big Whack February 4, 2011
The Sun as seen from space

Close to the Sun January 3, 2011
Western sky a couple of hours after sunset in late December

Happy Holidays! December 25, 2010
Eruption of gas from the surface of the Sun

Sun Power December 22, 2010
Total Lunar Eclipse of December 21, 2010

Disappearing Moon December 20, 2010
Visible and X-ray image of a supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Holiday Decoration December 16, 2010
Japanese spacecraft Akatsuki at Venus

Venusian Dawn December 6, 2010
China Clipper Sails the Pacific Ocean

Night Over Water November 22, 2010
Voyager 1 view of Saturn, November 1980

Getting Acquainted November 12, 2010
Infrared image of CW Leonis, a giant star that is surrounded by soot

Steamy Star November 9, 2010
False-color infrared view of Saturn and its aurora

Colorful Aurora September 28, 2010
The aftermath of an asteroid impact in the southern hemisphere of Jupiter

Giant Scar September 20, 2010
Two planets and a star team up with the crescent Moon in the western evening sky

Moon and Companions September 10, 2010
Rings and bubbles from a dying star

Jumping Through Hoops August 5, 2010
A thick dust storm blows across Mars in this image from Mars orbit.

Dusty Skies July 12, 2010

Western Lineup June 27, 2010