Bright Explosion on the Moon
NASA researchers who monitor the Moon for meteoroid impacts have detected an explosion ten times brighter than anything they've seen before.

Citizen Science, Old-School Style: The True Tale of Operation Moonwatch
Amateur astronomers have done more than just watch the skies, they've been a national security asset.

Prime Time for PANSTARRS
This week is prime time for observing this comet. (Next opportunity, the year 108,013 +/- a few hundred or thousand years.)

Comet of the Century?
Later this year, "Comet ISON" could blossom into a striking naked eye object visible even in broad daylight.

Big Sun-Diving Comet Discovered
Dr. Tony Phillips reports on his personal website -- spaceweather.com -- about a newly-discovered comet that may buzz the sun next year.

Mars Landing Sky Show
On the same night Curiosity lands on Mars, a "Martian Triangle" will appear in sunset skies of Earth. The first-magnitude apparition on August 5th gives space fans something to do while they wait for news from the Red Planet.

ISS Transit of Venus
High above Earth, astronaut Don Pettit is preparing to photograph the June 5th Transit of Venus from space itself. The Expedition 31 crew will be the first people in history to see a Venus transit from space.

An Alignment of Planets in the Sunset Sky
The brightest planets in the night sky are aligning for a must-see show in late February and March 2012. You can start looking tonight.

The Night After Christmas Sky Show
On Dec. 26th, Venus and the crescent Moon will gather together for a beautiful night-after-Christmas sky show.

Super-sized Lunar Eclipse
On Saturday morning, Dec. 10th, sky watchers in the western United States and Canada will witness a total lunar eclipse swollen to super-sized proportions by the Moon illusion.

Better Than Coffee: Planets Align in the Morning Sky
Four bright planets are aligning in the morning sky this week.

Solstice Lunar Eclipse
On the first day of northern winter, when the full Moon passes almost dead-center through Earth's shadow. For 72 minutes of eerie totality, an amber light will play across the snows of North America.

What's Up Podcasts
We've built a whole new section devoted to Jane Houston Jone's Popular What's Up podcasts and blogs.

The Man Behind Comet Hartley 2
Twenty-four years ago, Malcolm Hartley discovered a comet. Recently, he watched as a NASA spacecraft visited it up close.

Watch Out for the Super Harvest Moon
For the first time in almost 20 years, northern autumn is beginning on the night of a full Moon. The coincidence sets the stage for a "Super Harvest Moon" and a must-see sky show to mark the change of seasons.

How to See the Best Meteor Showers
Whether you're watching from a downtown area or the dark countryside, here are some tips to help you enjoy these celestial shows of shooting stars.

Closest Encounter with Jupiter until 2022
Jupiter and Earth are converging for their closest encounter in more than a decade. Only the Moon itself is outshining the giant planet in the midnight sky, and the view through a telescope is dynamite.

Big Lunar Eclipse
This Saturday morning, June 26th, there's going to be a lunar eclipse-and for many residents of the USA, it's going to be a big one.

Handheld Sun
The entire Sun is now available in the palm of your hand. 3D is the latest iPhone app to take advantage of NASA technology.

Great Geminids
Mid-December's Geminids meteor shower is expected to be one of the better shows in the night sky this year.

The Discovery of the Galilean Satellites
Probably the most significant contribution that Galileo Galilei made to science was the discovery of the four satellites around Jupiter that are now named in his honor.

Watch Spaceships Crash into the Moon Early Friday
Science@NASA offers tips for viewing the LCROSS lunar impact this Friday. Viewers east of the Mississippi should tune in to NASA TV. Folks west of the Mississippi might be able to watch with a telescope.

Hello, Juno
Asteroid Juno will be brighter than usual in late September, making it visible even with binoculars for anyone under dark skies.

Hello Again, Hubble
Hubble is back and better than ever. Let the observing begin!

Chandra Turns Ten
Astronomers are celebrating 10 years of surprising, violent and beautiful images of the high-energy Universe from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

The Girl Who Named Pluto
In a 2006 interview, Venetia Burney Phair talks about how she, at age 11, got to name a planet. Mrs. Phair died at the age of 90 last month.

New Gamma-Ray Burst Smashes Cosmic Distance Record
NASA's Swift satellite found a gamma-ray burst from a star that died when the universe was only 630 million years old. The event, dubbed GRB 090423, is the most distant cosmic explosion ever seen.

Venus Disappears During Meteor Shower
A meteor shower. A crescent Moon. A disappearing planet. These three things will be on display April 22nd when the Moon occults Venus during the annual Lyrid meteor shower.

Sharing the Sun with Your Community
On a sunny day I might take one of my telescopes down to a busy sidewalk in my town, park the car, unload and aim a solar safe telescope at the Sun.

Part 1: The Solar System and the Universe - Yours to Explore
Picture yourself joined together with astronomers and other cosmic-minded people sharing in the excitement of space, exploring cosmic treasures, pondering your own place in the Universe, and celebrating astronomy events all over the planet Earth.

Holding Hands With Galileo
All you need is basic binoculars to see Jupiter and its four largest moons as Galileo did 400 years ago.

So Long, Saturn: Hello Moon, Venus, Mercury and Mars
Saturn is at conjunction with the sun in early September. This means that Saturn nearly disappears behind the sun for a few days. By late September, however, Saturn emerges from behind the sun and can be seen in the early morning sky.

Three Planets Charm the Sky This Week
A trio of planets, all visited by NASA/JPL robotic missions, are is visible in the summer sky this week.

Watch Mars Buzz Past a Swarm of Stars May 22-26
NASA's Mars Phoenix lands on the Red Planet's north polar plain on May 25th. As a bonus, Mars is easy to see in the early evening sky right now.

Make Your Own Cassini Presentations
Load up with all kinds of Saturn data to show the public, friends and family.

Viewing Saturn in 2007
January through July 2007 are the best months to view Saturn this year.

Planning a School Star Party
An excellent addition to any science classroom curriculum is a star party.

The Night Sky Network
A partnership of amateur astronomy clubs.

Saturn Observation Campaign
This program gives sky enthusiasts of all abilities the opportunity to share the splendor of Saturn with their local community.

Planets Rise and Shine
The early-bird gets a celestial treat towards the end of August 2006.

Perseid Earthgrazers
Blame it on the Moon: The 2006 Perseid meteor shower is going to be a dud.

SOHO Watches Saturn and Cassini Pass Behind the Sun
Annual Saturn conjunction.

Mars and Saturn Join Together in the Western Sky
Our planetary system may be vast, but at times some of our neighbor planets are easily visible without a telescope.

Celestial Twins Pair with Mars and Saturn
View Mars and Saturn as they pass near Gemini.

Swift Mercury - Catch It If You Can!
Mercury, the smallest and fastest of the planets, may not have wings on its heels like its namesake, but it races around the Sun four times each year and can be a challenge for sky watchers to catch.

See the Incredible Shrinking Planet
Mercury makes a rare appearance in the evening sky this week.

Saturn, the Moon and a Swarm of Stars
The planet Saturn will appear to be located near the Beehive star cluster in the night sky for the next several months.

Ringside Seats for Saturn
Saturn approaches opposition with Earth.

Viewing Mars in 2006
Mars is the only planet with a surface that can be easily seen through amateur telescopes.

Saturn and the Moon Dance This Weekend
From now through mid-2006, it's Saturn time again.

Observing Deep Impact's Comet Tempel 1
Viewing Comet Tempel One

Total Lunar Eclipse
On Wednesday night, Oct. 27th, North Americans can see a total eclipse of the moon.

The Curious Tale of Asteroid Hermes
The long lost asteroid Hermes makes frequent appearances in our night sky.

Discovery of Three Irregular Neptunian Moons
A team of astronomers led by Matthew Holman (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) and JJ Kavelaars (National Research Council of Canada) discovered three previously unknown moons of Neptune.

Galileo's Finger
Galileo's finger is on display at the Museo di Storia del Scienza in Florence, Italy.