The Supermoon is going to light up the evening sky tomorrow. Unfortunately, it's also going to block out an even more dazzling cosmic display—the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower. more ›

The fall weather may be appealing, but the gloomy skies the past couple of days haven't really helped anyone looking up for Comet Hartley 2, which made it's closest pass yesterday. It's still pretty darn close (just 11 million miles away!), so if the skies clear up you can find the icy comet to the left of Taurus in the constellation Auriga, starting a little after 10 p.m. Meanwhile, NASA's Deep Impact probe, on its EPOXI mission we discussed last week, ventures closer to Hartley every day, preparing for its fly-by on November 4. more ›

Aurorae and meteors light up the sky this week. Let's discuss the unusually low curtains of light first, and then you can skip below the fold for our annual August meteor shower. more ›

The biggest celestial show always waits 'til last, so be sure to look up this week for the Geminids. Unlike last month's Leonids, which were primarily seen over Asia (though folks around here who braved very late into the night may have seen a few), December's meteor shower will be visible all over the Northern Hemisphere. You may be able to see a few starting tonight, increasing in frequency all week until they hit their peak next Sunday night/Monday morning. Not only will they be appearing in our part of the sky -- originating from sky near the constellation Gemini, which rises in the East around 8 p.m. -- but we'll be helped by a nearly New Moon (no, not the one with the hair). The most visible 'shooting stars' should appear almost all night, from 10 p.m. to dawn, with the peak around 2 a.m. The Geminids are the most reliable meteor shower and should produce up to 100/hour at its max. more ›

No really, look up! Those are the Leonids streaking through the sky (they began on November 10). This meteor shower often gives one of the best shows of the year, on rare occasions being so spectacular that it surpasses being just a shower and becomes a "meteor storm," with over 1000 meteors per hour. We won't get quite that amazing a sight this year, but the debris from comet Tempel-Tuttle should still send about 500 pieces an hour through the atmosphere -- and with the peak arriving on Tuesday night and a barely visible waxing Moon to darken the sky, the Leonids will still be an astronomical show worth staying outside in the cold for (perhaps with your camera?). more ›

The news isn't good for stargazers this weekend. Both events we mentioned last weekend, the National Capital Astronomers "Exploring the Sky" in Rock Creek Park and NOVAC's 27th Annual Star Gaze, are certainly going to be rained out. We'll let you know if the annual Star Gaze is rescheduled. more ›

Since many of you will already be out tonight at Fort Reno or Screen on the Green, go ahead and tilt your head upwards to catch an even more spectacular show. The Perseid meteor shower has actually been appearing for a couple weeks already, as debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle burns up as it enters Earth's atmosphere, but tonight is special as it reaches its annual peak. more ›