Observing

Learn about upcoming observing events like eclipses, meteor showers, comets, and conjunctions, as well as how to observe and photograph them.

Latest Observing News

Full Moon in July 2016.

Observing, The Moon

2024 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases

Partial lunar eclipse

The Moon, Upcoming events

How to watch a partial lunar eclipse during Tuesday’s Super Moon

The five members of the animal kingdom we observed during the April 2024 solar eclipse from Bee Cave, Texas, are shown clockwise from top left: northern cardinal, American robin, mosquito, cloudless sulphur butterfly, and a Mexican free-tailed bat. Images showing totality and the mosquito were taken on eclipse day.

2024 Solar Eclipse

Studying nature’s eclipse reactions

Lunar eclipse geometry

Science, The Moon

Why can we still see the Moon’s disk during a total lunar eclipse?

Sky this Week

Partial lunar eclipse

The Sky This Week from September 13 to 20: A partial lunar eclipse plus an occultation

Sky this Month

Saturn at Opposition at Waterton Lakes

September 2024: What’s in the sky this month? Saturn and Neptune reach opposition, with Mercury at its best

Total solar eclipse — When the Moon blots out the Sun, the Sun’s usually invisible corona pops into view.

FEATURED EVENT

20 of the best places to see the 2024 total solar eclipse

The total eclipse set to take place April 8, 2024, will dazzle everyone who views it. Here are some of the best places to see to see the 2024 eclipse.

Popular Observing Topics

Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

The Sun

Safely observing the Sun can be a fun and rewarding experience.

Credit: Ted Hauter.

The Moon

Our nearest celestial neighbor provides many great sights.

Planets

Targeting our solar system’s other worlds is well worth the effort.

Credit: Tony Hallas.

Deep-Sky Objects

Nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies are the night sky’s hidden gems.

Credit: Celestron.

Telescopes & Equipment

Explore the tools that can help you unlock the night sky.

Credit: Peter Michaud, Gemini Observatory.

Astrophotography

Capturing great celestial sights is both an art and a skill.

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Popular Explorations