John Goss

This is a landscape photograph of the night sky with the Milky Way over rural Bryson City during summer in the Great Smoky Mountains North Carolina.

Skywatch: May/June 2026

The two planets that, at times, dominate the early evening sky are slowly heading toward each other for a dramatic showdown in early June.
skywatch

March/April Skywatch: Late Winter Celestial Attractions

Stars are without a doubt far, even the closest ones.
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Sarah Smiles: Slow Travels in East Tennessee

Burgers, Bobcats and Big Firsts
skywatch

January/February Skywatch: Is the Brightest Star the Closest?

Stars are without a doubt far, even the closest ones.
skywatch

November/December Skywatch: Spy a Galaxy Not Our Own

The early sunsets of November and December make it convenient to gaze at the stars on a cold, clear evening.

Departments

Behind Blue Ridge Country

Even More Sweet Virginia Breezes

Casually cruising to Claytor Lake in southwest Virginia, I felt like I had come home – back to where it

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