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Interferometry image of Rasalhague

Night Sky Sights

Meet Rasalhague, the Star with the Snake

Rasalhague, a star rotating so fast it has squashed itself, has a fascinating connection to the mythology of healing.

Gravitational-wave signal and noise

Astronomy and Society

How Astronomers Are Rendering the Universe in Sound

Presenting data as sound can open new opportunities for accessibility, engagement, and discovery, but the technique still faces challenges.

Moon passing Jupiter at dawn, Aug 15-16, 2022

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 12 – 20

Saturn is at opposition, the Perseids contend with moonlight, and once the Moon is gone from the evening sky, the summer Milky Way arches high.

Don Machholz

People, Places, and Events

Remembering Donald Machholz, 1952–2022

Sky & Telescope honors the life of Donald Machholz, one of the premier comet-hunters of his time.

Occator Crater on Ceres

Solar System

Asteroid Ceres Was Radioactive — and That Could Explain a Lot

Radioactive heating in this asteroid's early days may have destabilized the small world, creating asymmetric surface features.

Perseid 2021

Celestial News & Events

Perseids Are Coming, Full Moon or Not

Don't use a full Moon pass to skip this year's Perseid meteor shower. Right here, right now, we're going to help you make the most of it.

JWST deep-field image showing many galaxies

Cosmology

Webb Telescope Shatters Distance Records, Challenges Astronomers

Distant galaxies in Webb images suggest we need to rethink star and galaxy evolution in the early universe.

artist's illustration of sun with glint

Solar System

Caught in a Solar Storm on the Way to Mars

A chance alignment between Earth and a Mars-bound spacecraft has given us a rare glimpse at the motions of high-energy particles from the Sun.

Venus low at dawn with fainter Pollux and Castor, Aug 6, 2022

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 5 – 13

The Moon and Saturn come to opposition this week, showing us their full sunlit faces. Jupiter looms big late in the night, Vega attains the zenith, and we cross the midpoint of summer. The Perseid meteors get partly mooned out.

Launch KPLO

Space Missions

Korea's Lunar Orbiter Heads for the Moon

South Korea's lunar orbiter has launched successfully for the Moon, joining a growing number of missions there.

Hubble vs Webb comparison

Professional Telescopes

Hubble's Future in the Webb Era

Even though it's far past its warranty, Hubble is still proving its worth in this new era that includes the James Webb Space Telescope.

Perseid over Stellafane in 2010

Night Sky Sights

August: Saturn & the Perseids

August marks the return of the Perseid meteor shower — and as you’re looking out for shooting stars while listening to this month’s Sky Tour podcast, look for Saturn low in the southeast as soon as night begins to fall.

Jupiter in infrared

Solar System

Why Are Jupiter's Rings So Thin?

Why does the biggest planet in the solar system have such flimsy rings? New research shows Jupiter's moons may be to blame.

NGC 7496 spiral galaxy seen in visible and infrared wavelengths

Galaxies

Thin Red Lines: Webb Space Telescope Captures Star Creation on Grand Scale

New imagery from the James Webb Space Telescope shows a nearby galaxy in a whole new light.

Mercury and Regulus very low in bright twilight, Aug. 3, 2022

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 29 – August 6

As the Big Dipper dips and the Guardians of the Pole align one over the other, Saturn looms low in the southeast and the False Comet teases at its highest.

Black widow pulsar

Stellar Science

Black Widow Pulsar Sets Mass Record

A pulsar has devoured enough of its stellar companion to grab the title for most massive known neutron star.

Earthshine painting

History and Sky Lore

Solving an Earthshine Mystery

Something we take for granted about the crescent Moon's appearance may be nothing more than an optical illusion.

four overlapping jupiters showing dark orange marks on the bottom

Exoplanets

When Planets Collect Comets

What kind of planets are likely to ensnare comets coming in from the icy outer reaches of a planetary system?

Crescent Moon and Venus low in the dawn, July 26-27, 2022

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 22 – 30

Bright Arcturus is still pretty high after dark, but as summer progresses, it moves down the western side of the evening sky. Its pale ginger-ale tint always helps identify it.

Blazar (art)

Black Holes

Giant Black Holes Make Tiny, Ghost-like Particles

Blazars, the gas-guzzling black holes at the center of galaxies, could make most of the tiny particles known as neutrinos we catch on Earth.