1–20 of 48 results
Betelgeuse close-up

Explore the Night with Bob King

Is Betelgeuse Fading Again?

Betelgeuse has dipped nearly half a magnitude since late January. Could it be headed for another Great Dimming Event? We also take a look at this spring's "other" eclipse.

Nova Persei expansion

Explore the Night with Bob King

Time-lapse Animations Reveal a Universe in Transformation

Deep-sky objects may appear static throughout our lifetime but by carefully "blinking" archival and current images we can discern real changes in their appearance.

Orion Nebula with T Ori

Variable Stars

Catch Birth Flickers of Budding Suns in Orion

Three flickering stars in Orion offer insight into what life looks like before the main sequence.

Geminid over Tucson

Celestial News & Events

Catch the Geminid Meteor Shower; Plus, Watch RW Cephei Fade

The luminous Geminid meteor shower returns. We also meet a binocular-bright star that may be experiencing Betelgeuse-like convulsions.

Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) up close

Explore the Night with Bob King

Sneak Peek at Two Promising Comets

Ready to chase comets? We look at two fuzzy solar system travelers that will keep you on your toes all fall and winter long.

Titan and Tethys

Explore the Night with Bob King

Titan Occults a Bright Star, Mira Awakens, and Comet PanSTARRS Shines

Pick one or see them all. July offers a potpourri of celestial events for both naked-eye observers and telescope users that include a rare occultation by Saturn's moon Titan, a bright comet, and Mira at maximum.

RS Oph animation

Celestial News & Events

Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi Just Blew its Top!

The recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi just went into outburst — its first burst in 15 years — and it's bright enough to see with the naked eye

Doubles map east

Explore the Night with Bob King

Dazzling Double Stars for Compromised Skies

For many, smoke from wildfires has transformed summer nights, blotting out stars and familiar deep-sky sights. But through it all double stars keep on shining.

NGC 5453 globular cluster

Explore the Night with Bob King

In Heaven with M7, a Portal Into the Deep

M7 in Scorpius is one of the brightest, most beautiful open clusters in the sky. It's also "home" to a half-dozen other delectable deep-sky sights.

M56 globular

Night Sky Sights

Summer Nights Offer Splendid Sights in Lyra

Lyra, the Lyre, offers a wonderful assortment of double stars and deep-sky objects to keep you up at night. Break out your binoculars and telescope and join me for a summertime ramble.

Red nova

Celestial News & Events

Bright Nova in Hercules on a Roller Coaster Ride

A new bright nova discovered in Hercules at 8th magnitude briefly rose to naked-eye visibility. It's currently easily visible in a pair of binoculars.

Hubble photo of M3

Night Sky Sights

Hunting Barnard's Variable in the Globular Cluster M3

We beat a path through a forest of stars to find the first variable star ever discovered in a globular star cluster.

Three novae

Variable Stars

A Bouquet of Novae Brightens April Nights

With the recent discovery of Nova Scorpii 2021 earlier this week, three bright stellar explosions are now visible in small telescopes from dusk till dawn.

Deep image of V1405 Cas nova

Celestial Objects to Observe

Bright Nova Erupts in Cassiopeia

A new nova in Cassiopeia, discovered on March 18th, is bright enough to see in a small telescope.

Algol

Celestial News & Events

Take a Roller Coaster Ride with Algol, a Fast Eclipsing Binary

How would you like to see a star drop two magnitudes in the time it takes to eat dinner? Easy to do. Just check out one of these fast eclipsing binaries — they'll make your head spin.

Betelgeuse telescopic view

Explore the Night with Bob King

Is Betelgeuse Approaching a Crossroads?

Astronomers all over are waiting with bated breath to see what Betelgeuse will do next. Is it going to start brightening again on February 21st? Or will it continue to surprise?

A bright supernova

Celestial News & Events

The Latest on Betelgeuse, Plus a Bright Supernova and New Comet Iwamoto

The sky provides. This winter, the fading of Betelgeuse caught us all by surprise. Now, as January wraps up, we can add a new comet discovery and a supernova bright enough to see in a 6-inch telescope to an ever-growing list of seasonal sky wonders.

Betelgeuse in Orion

Explore the Night with Bob King

Betelgeuse is Dimming . . . Why?

The bright star Betelgeuse has faded to a historic low as astronomers try to figure out why.

Variable Stars

Hunting Bright Variable Stars in M5 and M13

Globular clusters are packed with variable stars, some of which are easy to see and follow in amateur telescopes. We explore M5 and M13, two of the season's finest.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Twinkle, Twinkle Quasi-Star — 12 Quasars for Spring Evenings

Quasars are among the brightest and most distant objects in the universe. Many are visible in amateur scopes if you know just where to look. We'll help you track them down.