This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 15 – 24
Mercury emerges in the sunset, far lower right of brighter Jupiter. And don't just arc to Arcturus and speed to Spica — continue the curve to Corvus, cruise to Capella, and more.
Activities for Kids Before and During the Solar Eclipse
The solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, is the perfect opportunity to get people of all ages interested in the wonder of eclipses through art and science. Here are some activities that anyone with even a passing interest can get involved in
Webb Telescope Reveals Worlds in the Farthest Reaches of the Solar System
James Webb Space Telescope data on distant worlds confirm some solar system formation hypotheses and confuse others.
What Will the Weather Be on the Day of the Total Solar Eclipse?
Eclipse weather expert Jay Anderson shares the long-range outlook for eclipse day as well as instructions on how to look at weather forecasts closer to April 8th.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Is Betelgeuse Fading Again?
Betelgeuse has dipped nearly half a magnitude since late January. Could it be headed for another Great Dimming Event? We also take a look at this spring's "other" eclipse.
Icy Impactor Might Explain the Formation of Mars’s Moons
In a new study, scientists suggest an impact with a giant icy object could explain the formation of Mars's moons, Phobos and Deimos.
How to See the Diamond Ring Effect During a Total Solar Eclipse
Here's how to safely see the "diamond ring," the dazzling burst of sunlight seen just before and after totality.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 8 – 17
The Moon sidles up to bold Jupiter, then the delicate Pleiades, then the Castor and Pollux twins. Arcturus, ascending in the east, is probably the third-brightest star you've ever seen and that's including the Sun.
Webb Telescope Finds Dwarf Galaxies Lit Up the Early Universe
Faint, small galaxies ionized the opaque fog that obscured the early universe.
JWST Photographs Possible Giant Planets Around White Dwarfs
JWST has directly imaged two giant exoplanets orbiting white dwarf stars. This discovery may reveal the fate of our solar system.
Meet Wezen, a Yellow Tail for a Big Dog
Wezen, a yellow supergiant more than 1,600 light-years from Earth, is also the tail of the Canis Major constellation.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 1 – 9
It's early March, so the Winter Triangle balances on Sirius after dark. The Gemini twins float high across the meridian. Leo jumps the gun on spring.
March Podcast: A Barely-There Lunar Eclipse
As told in the latest episode of our long-running Sky Tour astronomy podcast, this month it’ll be challenging to a special kind of lunar eclipse on March 25th — but easy to spot five of the 10 brightest stars in the night sky.
Astronomers Find New Moons of Uranus and Neptune
The three new moons for Uranus and Neptune are each part of a "family," groupings that fragmented from a single parent object.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Fuzzy Glows: See Zodiacal Light, Gegenschein, Airglow, and Aurorae
Find time this season to set aside your telescope and seek the night sky's ghostly glows.
NASA's DART Impact Reshaped the Asteroid Dimorphos
Models of the NASA's DART impact reshaping the asteroid moon Dimorphos show that this object is "rubble all the way down."
Webb Telescope Spies Hints That Solar System's Outskirts Are a Hotbed of Activity
The James Webb Space Telescope has found that distant dwarf planets might be methane factories.
Odysseus Lander Is on the Moon
Odysseus has become the first mission of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program to soft-land on the Moon.
Japan's Lunar Lander Wakes Up (Again!)
The Japanese space agency has reestablished contact with its SLIM lunar lander prior to sunset, enabling mission science to continue.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 23 – March 3
The full Moon splits the Sickle, the dawn Moon occults Antares, carnivore constellations stand up in the east, and the zodiacal light is at its evening best.