81–100 of 1,198 results
a light grey circle with tentrils coming off it against a dark grey background

Cosmic Relief with David Grinspoon

Venus Lives!

Don’t disbelieve the hype: New evidence for active volcanic vents on our sister planet is convincing.

JUICE

Solar System

European JUICE Mission Launches for Jupiter

The European Space Agency’s first dedicated mission to the icy moons of Jupiter has launched successfully.

Space Missions

Artemis II Crew Selection, Mission Update

NASA has announced the names for the Artemis 2 crew headed to the Moon in 2024. Meanwhile, the Artemis program as a whole is taking shape.

Why We Look Up with Jennifer Willis

Cosmic Coregulation

Connection to the night sky can ease stress and give us a feeling of security.

Lunarisms locator

Celestial News & Events

Pleasures of Lunar Pareidolia

Do you still see animal shapes in clouds? If so, you'll enjoy doing the same with the Moon, home to the Moon Maiden, a giant pair of scissors, and other fantastic specters of light and shadow.

rover

Space Missions

Rosalind Franklin Rover Targeting 2028 Launch to Mars

The European Space Agency is working to get its ambitious Mars rover back on track after complex delays.

C/2023 A3 orbit

Comets

Anticipating Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3)

Newly discovered Comet C/2023 A3 might reach naked-eye brightness when it flies past Earth in 2024. Check out our forecast of what to expect to see in the months ahead.

Big Dipper

Explore the Night with Bob King

Tell Time with the Big Dipper; See Ceres Transit a Spiral Galaxy

Phone battery dead? Learn how to tell time with the Big Dipper. Also, don't miss a remarkable transit of Ceres in front of the bright spiral galaxy M100.

Why We Look Up with Jennifer Willis

Sucker Holes

When skies are cloudy, sucker holes may offer us a view — albeit often only a brief one — of the universe overhead.

Red aurora

Auroras

Aurora Season Is Underway

These are the nights to get ready for the auroras — and tonight may be your lucky night. Not only is the current solar cycle swiftly intensifying, March is one of the best times of the year to see the northern lights.

2023 CX1

Solar System

Small Asteroid Spotted Hours Before Demise

The swift detection of a small asteroid, and recovery of its surviving fragments, shows we’re getting better at spotting incoming objects.

a black dot against a grey background with two white lines on either side

Cosmic Relief with David Grinspoon

ET on Earth? 

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence should not exclude our own planet.

Orion Nebula with T Ori

Variable Stars

Catch Birth Flickers of Budding Suns in Orion

Three flickering stars in Orion offer insight into what life looks like before the main sequence.

Nova image, not animated

Why We Look Up with Jennifer Willis

On Burnout, the “Green Comet,” and White Dwarf Stars

With care and diligence, amateur astronomy can offer a satisfying reprieve.

Lucy spacecraft next to shiny rock on black field

Solar System

Lucy Mission Has a New Asteroid to Fly By

NASA’s Lucy mission now has a new first target of opportunity, a main-belt asteroid it will visit this November.

Comet ZTF (C/2022) and Mt. Etna

Comets

Understanding the Tails of Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3)

We explore Comet ZTF's remarkable trio of tails and share the latest news and photos.

Comet ZTF E3 dust tail

Comets

See Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) Dash Between Big and Little Dippers

Forget the hype and go outside to enjoy the real thing — a relatively bright comet you can see in binoculars from a dark sky.

2023 BU close approach

Solar System

Tiny Asteroid 2023 BU to Miss Earth

A recently discovered asteroid will pass exceptionally close to Earth on January 26th. Here's how to see it. Also, Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) is brightening nicely, with three tails visible in binos.

Why We Look Up with Jennifer Willis

Why We Look Up: Star Stuff

Why do we look up? Because we are a way for the universe to know itself; and perhaps because the universe is a way for us to know ourselves.

Winter Pair-a-gon

Celestial Objects to Observe

Explore Double Stars in the "Winter Pair-a-gon"

The Winter Hexagon is not only key to finding six of the season's most prominent constellations but also a gateway to a more than a half-dozen delightful double stars.