Sky & Telescope Magazine

This week the Moon occults Beta Virginis, then Antares. The last star of the Summer Triangle finally rises before bedtime. On the other side of the sky, the Arch of Spring sinks low.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 17 – 26 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

This oddly shaped cloud of dusty gas is shaped by the winds and radiation from nearby stars.

The post Cosmic "Hand" Reaches for the Stars appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

A new planet candidate discovered in data from NASA's TESS mission could be an extreme lavaworld, pushed and pulled by the gravity of its own star and two other close-in planets.

The post Planet Candidate Could Be Incandescent with Lava Flows appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

This large constellation abounds in deep-sky delights, including many fine open star clusters.

The post Explore the Star Clusters of Centaurus appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

An extreme (G5) geomagnetic storm hit Earth last weekend, delighting viewers as far south as Florida with green and red curtains of light.

The post See Photos of the Widespread Aurorae Last Weekend appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

A severe geomagnetic storm has just hit Earth — which means we could see auroras tonight! Here's what you'll need to know.

The post Severe Geogmagnetic Storm Has Arrived! Auroral Blast Expected Friday Night appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The waxing Moon this week travels eastward from the horns of Taurus past the heads of Gemini, the Beehive in Cancer, then the forefoot of Leo on its way to occulting Beta Virginis.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 10 – 19 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

A new visualization from NASA takes the viewer on a one-way journey into a black hole.

The post Video: Plunge into a Black Hole appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Are you excited about Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS's prospects for a bright appearance this autumn? Guess what? It's already gorgeous.

The post Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Brightens, Grows a Tail appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Is GRB 191019A a typical burst of gamma rays from a dying star, an anomalously long burst from colliding objects, or something else entirely?

The post Is This Gamma-Ray Burst a Shredded Star in Disguise? appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Many people travel to broaden their horizons; there's no broader horizon than the cosmos.

The post The Broadest Horizon appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

This week in the moonless dark, the Summer Triangle appears over the eastern treetops star by star. Leo walks down toward the west. And the Sombrero Galaxy positions itself ideally on the south meridian for your telescope.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 3 – 12 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

China’s ambitious Chang’e 6 mission will attempt to return a sample from the lunar farside.

The post China's Chang'e 6 Mission Heads to the Moon appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Alkaid is the end star of the Big Dipper's handle, a bright-blue example of a nearby B-type star.

The post Meet Alkaid, the Big Dipper’s Handle appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

You might be tempted to sleep through this annual shower but then you'd miss seeing some of the fastest meteors around. Not to mention their parent is the most famous comet of all.

The post Ready the Hot Cocoa and Recliner — Here Comes the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower! appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

High above you on May evenings is an one obvious star pattern that just about everyone knows: the Big Dipper. This “Swiss Army Knife of the sky” can help you find many other key springtime stars and constellations. Just download or stream this month’s Sky Tour podcast.

The post May Podcast: Big Dipper Shows the Way appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

New time-lapse videos from the Chandra X-ray Observatory show the Crab Nebula and the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant over more than 20 years.

The post What Happens After a Supernova Blows? Watch and Find Out appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

A giant impact likely formed Pluto's heart-shaped basin, Sputnik Planitia. A big chunk of the impactor’s core might still be buried under the ice.

The post A Cosmic Arrow Pierced Pluto's Heart — Is It Still There Beneath the Surface? appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

All the planets now huddle around our line of sight toward the Sun. However, these moonless evenings present us the Spring Triangle, the Great Diamond with a sugar sprinkle on its edge, and the Pointers aligned vertically.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 26 – May 5 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Researchers might have located the birthplace of 469219 Kamo‘oalewa, a small asteroid that has been described as Earth’s “mini-moon.”

The post Earth’s Mini-Moon Linked to Farside Lunar Crater appeared first on Sky & Telescope.