Finding Uranus and Neptune in 2006
Binoculars and our charts are all you need to spot these twin outer planets.

A Jupiter Observing Guide
Viewing the solar system's largest planet can be more than fun — with a good telescope, you can make observations of lasting value.

An Observing Guide to Saturn
The ringed planet offers more to look for with your telescope than you may know.

Asteroid Flyby Caught!
When the half-mile asteroid 2004 XP14 zipped by Earth on July 3, 2006, amateurs were ready.

Views of the April 1st Pleiades Occultation
The waxing crescent Moon made quite a spectacle crossing the Pleiades on April Fool's Day 2006.

Views of the March 29, 2006, Solar Eclipse
A butterfly-shaped corona, characteristic of solar minimum, surrounded the Sun and Moon at totality.

Two Stellar Opposites: R and T Coronae Borealis
One star is usually bright but fades unexpectedly; the other is almost always faint but brightens unexpectedly. Check them out with binoculars.

Chi Cygni: A Wide-Ranging Variable
This red Mira-type star is a perennial favorite, often reaching dim naked-eye visibility at its peak.

The Minima of Algol
The bright eclipsing variable star Algol fades and brightens visibly to the naked eye. Use the chart and timetable here to catch Algol's performances.

Some Pointers on Laser Pointers
Many stargazers use green laser pointers in the sky. But these can be dangerous — and can get you arrested under the USA Patriot Act — if used carelessly. Here's how to avoid prison.

The Lunar 100
Let this Moon observer's hit list of craters, basins, mountains, rilles, and domes guide your telescopic explorations of Earth's nearest neighbor.

JavaScript Utilities from Sky & Telescope
Use these handy routines to find Jupiter and Saturn’s brightest moons, locate Jupiter's Great Red Spot, determine the times of Algol's minimum brightness, and more.