641–660 of 6,127 results
Waxing Moon with Castor and Pollux

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 3 – 11

For three nights running, the waxing Moon will pose equidistant from the two brightest stars of Leo. The Cassiopeia W lies exactly level in the north. And for that to happen, Kochab has to be straight above Polaris.

Centaurus A galaxy

Black Holes

The Life and Times of Immortal Stars

Under the right conditions, stars could become immortal. How is this possible, and what does it mean for these stars’ surroundings?

4 planets and Moon 24June2022

Sky Tour Astronomy Podcast

June: Pre-dawn Planet-Palooza

Download this month's Sky Tour podcast to find out where and when to spot a rare alignment of five planets in the sky before dawn.

Denebola

Night Sky Sights

Meet Denebola, and Catch a Lion by the Tail

Meet Denebola, the tail of Leo, the Lion. This young star is a fast rotater but otherwise not that different from our Sun.

Crescent Moon passing Pollux and Castor, June 2-3, 2022

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 27 – June 4

The crescent Moon passes Pollux and Castor in the western twilight. Jupiter aligns with Mars in the dawn, then they edge apart. And a strong new meteor shower will either happen or it won't!

Geminid meteor shower

Meteors

Update on a Possible Outburst of Meteors

Will there be a new meteor shower on the night of May 30–31? There's only one way to find out.

rainbow with black lines marking where different atoms have absorbed wavelengths of light

Stellar Science

Mystery of the Sun's Chemical Makeup Lingers

Astronomers think they might have a solution to the conundrum of the Sun's chemical composition.

Big Dipper

Explore the Night with Bob King

A New Way to See the Big Dipper

Unlike most asterisms, many of the Big Dipper's stars really are physically connected. They belong to a loosely bound stellar stream called the Ursa Major Moving Cluster.

Outer Planets

People, Places, and Events

Piano Concerto on the Planets Premieres

A piano concerto based on the solar system’s planets just had its world premiere. And you can hear a sampling of the music right here!

solar flare

Solar System

The Sun Is Waking Up — Right On Schedule

The Sun is ramping up activity, but contrary to some reports, this solar cycle is still consistent with scientists' predictions.

Moon with Jupiter, Mars, Venus at dawn, May 25-27, 2022

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 20 – 28

The advancing spring sends Vega high and Capella low. The Coma Berenices cluster glitters shyly way up, big and dim. Glance up anytime to check on changing Beta Lyrae. And now in the dawn, Jupiter aligns with Mars.

Artist's illustration of pulsar Geminga

Astronomy & Observing News

Seeing Inside a Cosmic Superaccelerator

Astronomers are exploring a celestial particle accelerator in the Eel Nebula that surrounds a distant pulsar.

Mars InSight

Solar System

NASA's Insight Lander Detects Monster Marsquake

NASA’s Mars Insight lander witnessed the largest quake detected on another world at just the right time — as the lander begins to run low on power.

a glowing orb with smaller dots of lights in various colors in it and around it against a black background

Galaxies

A Cosmic Collision Could Have Made Two Dark Matter–Less Galaxies

Astronomers connect the dots between two strange doppelganger galaxies, uncovering what might be a string of galactic pearls created in a cosmic collision 8 billion years ago.

Solar Orbiter images of Sun

Solar System

Spotting Dots on the Sun

You’ve heard of sunspots, but how about Sun dots? A recent solar mission has snapped photos of tiny, bright dots on the Sun, and astronomers are contemplating their cause.

November 2021 Lunar eclipse

Explore the Night with Bob King

Witness a Total Lunar Eclipse on Sunday, May 15–16

The full Flower Moon ducks inside Earth's shadow in a total lunar eclipse this month. We help you prepare for all the highlights of the special event.

black hole surrounded by a glowing orange ring

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle

Astronomers Unveil Image of the Milky Way’s Central Black Hole

Using a worldwide array of telescopes, the Event Horizon Telescope team has given us our first look at Sagittarius A*.

Spica and Corvus. Image by Akira Fujii.

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 13 – 21

The Moon becomes totally eclipsed, Corvus eyes Spica, Draco eyes Vega, and the last star of the rising Summer Triangle clears the horizon.

Nova illustration

Stellar Science

Astronomers Watched a White Dwarf Turn into a Thermonuclear Fireball

Astronomers have spotted the X-ray flash that precedes a nova. The brief flare is the first sign of a white dwarf erupting into a nuclear-fusion fireball.

People, Places, and Events

S&T Authors Win Science Journalism Awards

Two Sky & Telescope authors have won prestigious awards recognizing excellence in science journalism.