The New Year is upon us – and you know what that means! It’s time to turn over calendars, come up with resolutions, and look forward to another orbit ’round the sun. After passing perihelion on January 4th, the Earth will move on its elliptical orbit to its furthest point from the sun on July 4th, and then return back 3 million miles closer by this time next year...

While December is a month of extremes – cold and dark in the northern hemisphere and opposite in the southern – it's also one of the best months of the year for amateur astronomers and stargazers. Whatever drives you out to enjoy the night sky this month, be sure to bundle up – even in the southern hemisphere, it gets chilly at night...

With November, we take steps closer to the solstice. In the northern hemisphere, winter approaches in earnest; in the southern, the sun is welcomed back and temperatures continue to rise. The November night sky this month is also a time of astronomical activity, with active meteor showers, planetary close approaches, and even a few extra astronomical events we don't get every month...

Meteor showers are one of the most exciting astronomical events you can experience. You stand out under a starry sky, patiently waiting and watching the countless pinpricks of light over head, and then – suddenly! – a streak of light flashes across the sky, as a tiny piece of cometary debris enters and burns up in the earth's atmosphere...

In the northern hemisphere, October evokes thoughts of crunchy leaves, jack-o-lanterns, and yes, even those pumpkin flavored drinks and treats. It also signals a full turning of the seasons; after the equinox in September, we're into aurora season – and it turns out to be meteor season too! This year, the October night sky is going to be a great one...

It's hard to follow up a month like August: every year the August night sky wows with the Perseids shower and a host of other astronomical events. But this year September does its best: the September night sky is full of interesting astronomical events. This month you'll be treated to a series of planet-gazing opportunities, a few other celestial objects, and of course the September equinox...

Planets, asteroids, and meteors – oh my! August is one of the best night months of the year for astronomical events. This is primarily due to the Perseids, arguably the best meteor shower of the year. But the Perseids aren't the only thing worth seeing in the night sky this month. The August night sky has plenty else to see...

Some months are astronomically quiet – others are bursting with a variety of interesting events to try and see, keeping in mind the moon phases and weather. July 2022 is another exciting month; throughout the July night sky, there are usually 2+ opportunities to spot a number of astronomical objects and events, including Messier objects, planets, asteroids, and more...

Some months may not seem particularly exciting for stargazing when you first glance, and then you dig into the astronomical events to realize how much is actually going on. June 2022 is one of those months. After a sleepy start (there's very little to see in the first half of the month), the second half of June is jam packed with interesting astronomical events...