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Deneb marks the Tail of Cynus the Swan … and the head of a crosslike pattern known as the Northern Cross.

Most astronomers would tell you that the best moon is no moon.

The Keystone is a noticeable pattern of four stars in the constellation Hercules. The bright star Vega acts as your guide to finding it.

In 2017, let Jupiter and Spica, brightest star in Virgo, introduce you to the constellation Corvus the Crow. Corvus is recognizable for its compact, boxy shape.

On May evenings, the disk of our Milky Way galaxy lies flat, nearly parallel to the plane of your horizon.

Bright, bluish Vega marks the constellation Lyra the Harp.

Did you see any Eta Aquarid meteors Friday morning? Saturday morning is a good time to watch, too. Try around 3 a.m. until dawn. Be sure to get away from city lights.

Bright Jupiter is nearby. From Australia and New Zealand, the moon occults or passes in front of Regulus on the evening of May 4, 2017.

Stars near tonight’s moon. Plus a skywatcher’s trick to help you understand the moon’s motion among the stars. And some tips on finding sky directions!

Day side of Venus now covering more area – as seen in Earth’s sky – than at any other time during this morning apparition. So Venus is now at its brightest!

Tau Boötis was the first star, other than our sun, ever seen to undergo a magnetic field reversal. This post also includes 2 great videos about our sun’s magnetic reversals.

Finally! A meteor shower when the moon is (relatively) dark. Watch the mornings of April 21-23. We expect the peak morning to be April 22 for the Lyrids in 2017.

The star Polaris – aka the North Star – marks the end of the Little Dipper’s handle. The two outer stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper always point to Polaris.