Features

X-treme stars of the cosmos

Get to know the galaxy’s biggest, hottest, and most distant stars.

Live fast, die young

Astronomers don’t understand massive stars — rare beasts with short lives but lasting impact. These 10 questions rank among the most baffling.

Meet the neighbors

The nearest stars hide secrets that could help astronomers learn more about our Sun’s place in the galaxy.

All about the North Star

Polaris, navigators’ guiding light, is evolving right before astronomers’ eyes.

Explore the Virgo cluster

Challenge yourself and your equipment by targeting some faint but fascinating galaxies.

High Moon

This month, the Moon climbs farther north than at any time since 1987 and offers observers great views.

Eye on the southern sky

From film to digital imaging, this Chilean amateur astronomer does it all.

Two scopes in one

Starmaster’s new go-anywhere scope is a quick-change artist with two mounting options.

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Bob Berman’s strange universe
Glenn Chaple’s observing basics
Phil Harrington’s binocular universe

Two crabby clusters

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