The night sky is filled with beautiful objects with beautiful names — names from ancient Arabic, Greek, and Latin. But...More »
▶StarDate Radio: October 6 — Morning Mercury
Like a young child peeking over the edge of the kitchen table, the planet Mercury just peeks over the eastern...More »
★Stargazing: October 6
Mercury just peeks over the eastern horizon the next few mornings. The planet is quite low in the sky 30...More »
▶StarDate Radio: October 5 — Moon and Saturn
Saturn is made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium — the same ingredients that make up the Sun. But like...More »
★Stargazing: October 5
Saturn stands close to the upper right of the Moon at nightfall. The planet looks like a bright star. It’s...More »
▶StarDate Radio: October 4 — Sending a Message
Vega, one of the brighter stars in the night sky, stands high overhead as twilight fades away this evening. It’s...More »
★Stargazing: October 4
Vega, one of the brighter stars in the night sky, stands high overhead as twilight fades. It’s the leading light...More »
▶StarDate Radio: October 3 — Dark Matter Machine
From 1876 to 2001, the Homestake mine in South Dakota yielded almost 1400 tons of gold. It shut down when...More »
★Stargazing: October 3
The Moon is moving from one water constellation, Aquarius, to another, Capricornus. Many lunar features are associated with water, too....More »
★Stargazing: October 2
Almach, one of the brightest stars of the constellation Andromeda, is in the northeast as night falls and passes high...More »
▶StarDate Radio: October 2 — Almach
One of the most colorful star systems around climbs high across the sky on autumn nights. A telescope reveals two...More »
★Stargazing: October 1
Two of the constellations of summer bookend the Moon tonight. Sagittarius is to the left of the Moon at nightfall....More »
▶StarDate Radio: October 1 — Observe-the-Moon Night
Two of the constellations of summer bookend the waxing Moon tonight. Sagittarius is to the left of the Moon at...More »
Current Magazine
This issue features telescopes that astronomers can operate from afar, the odyssey of McDonald Observatory's first director, and early images from James Webb Space Telescope.
2022 Sky Almanac
This year offers up some beautiful skywatching treats, including two good lunar eclipses and several planetary conjunctions. You can find all the details on these and many other events in our 2022 Sky Almanac. Plan your skywatching adventures with tips on eclipses, meteor showers, and more, plus keep an eye on the bright planets.
