The heart of the scorpion is doomed. Sometime in the next million years or so, the star Antares is likely...More »
▶StarDate Radio: September 29 — No Threat
Earth faces many threats from the cosmos. Asteroids or comets could slam into our planet. We could be zapped by...More »
★Stargazing: September 29
Draco, the dragon, slithers around the Little Dipper. Its brightest star is Thuban, between Kochab, which is in the dipper,...More »
★Stargazing: September 28
The southern claw of the scorpion stands close above the Moon as darkness falls tonight. Formally, the star belongs to...More »
▶StarDate Radio: September 28 — Big Disruption
“Spaghettification” sounds like prep work for a big pasta dinner. But for scientists, it’s something even tastier: the destruction of...More »
★Stargazing: September 27
The Moon is in its waxing crescent phase, so sunlight illuminates only a sliver of the lunar disk. As night...More »
▶StarDate Radio: September 27 — A Big Collapse?
Astronomers have been debating the fate of some of the hottest, brightest, and most massive stars in the universe for...More »
▶StarDate Radio: September 26 — Jupiter at Opposition III
Earth and Jupiter wouldn’t appear to have a lot in common. Earth is a ball of rock surrounded by a...More »
★Stargazing: September 26
Five constellations that form part of the same story spread across the evening sky. Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cetus, and Perseus...More »
★Stargazing: September 25
The Moon is new today as it crosses the imaginary line between Earth and the Sun. It is lost from...More »
▶StarDate Radio: September 25 — Jupiter at Opposition II
When Voyager 1 flew past Jupiter more than four decades ago, it recorded radio waves produced by the planet. Scientists...More »
▶StarDate Radio: September 24 — Jupiter at Opposition
Jupiter is the king of the planets. It’s the biggest of the Sun’s eight major planets — about 11 times...More »
★Stargazing: September 24
Jupiter, the Sun’s largest planet, is shining at its best now. It is low in the east as night falls,...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.
