SUNSET: 
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.
Meet The Sun, Our Home Star
In this installment of Meet the Stars, we get to know the nearest one: our Sun. Its properties — like its stability — likely led to life on Earth.
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.
Apollo 16 in Pictures: “The Most Dazzling Place”
We celebrate Apollo 16 with a look back at photos from the mission that took two astronauts to the lunar surface for three days of exploration.
Meet Procyon, Orion’s Littler Dog
Meet Procyon, the brightest of the few stars in Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog. On its way to becoming a giant, this star is part of the Winter Triangle and Wniter Hexagon asterisms.
Meet Shackleton Crater: Future Moon Landing Site
Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole is a site of future exploration — and you can even see it through your telescope during favorable librations.
Meet Mizar and Alcor: The Horse and Rider
Mizar and Alcor, stars sometimes referred to as "the horse and the rider," serve as a vision test and an introduction to "double stars."
Meet Proxima Centauri: The Closest Star
Proxima Centauri is the dimmest and smallest of the Alpha Centauri system, but it has the honor of being the nearest star.
Meet Gamma Cassiopeiae, the Classic Eruptive Variable
Gamma Cassiopeia may lack a proper name, but the middle star of the "W"-shape constellation is worth finding on the sky.
Fifty Years Ago in Photos: Apollo 15 Astronauts Explore the Moon
See photos — some familiar and some rarely seen — from the Apollo 15 mission, which launched place 50 years ago today.
Juno’s Ganymede Flyby: Video Update
NASA's Juno flew by Jupiter's Ganymede, the biggest moon in the solar system, on June 7, 2021.
Meet Gacrux, the Top of the Cross
Gacrux is a treat for southern observers — the closest red giant to Earth and the tip of the famous Southern Cross.
7 Easy Things to See on the “Supermoon”
Seven easy and rewarding targets to explore when the Moon is full.
Meet Alnilam, Orion’s Belt Buckle
Alnilam, the middle star of Orion's distinctive belt, is a distant supergiant that will (eventually) end its life in a supernova.
Meet Castor, Six Stars in One
Castor, a prime ornament of the Gemini constellation and one of the brightest stars in the sky, is actually a system of stars with six unique members.
Meet Kochab, a Guardian of the Pole
Meet the stars: Kochab is no record-breaking bright star, but it's easy enough to find — and it may have played an important role through history.
Meet Aldebaran, the Bull’s Eye
Learn more about Aldebaran, the red-orange giant star that "follows" the Pleiades across the sky.
Meet Capella, the Goat Star
Capella is the sixth-brightest star in the sky — and it's more than one star! The main two stars in the system are near-twins, bright yellow giants.
Meet Arcturus: Guardian of the Bear
Arcturus is one of the brightest stars in the sky — a cool red giant in Bootes, the Herdsman, that's often tied mythologically to Ursa Major, the Bear.
Meet Antares: The Star That Is Not Mars
Antares is a red supergiant that — like Betelgeuse — will one day go supernova.