You are here

Your Guide to the Universe

StarDate magazine keeps you in touch with the universe with detailed skywatching information, in-depth features, the latest astronomy news, and more. Six issues per year, including the Sky Almanac issue in January! Subscribe today!

Current Issue: March/April 2023

How’s the Weather Up There?
Space weather can cause big problems here on Earth, so scientists are working hard to develop better forecasts.
By Kristen Pope

Digging Into Lunar History
As NASA prepares to return to the Moon in a big way, its scientists are restoring observations made by earlier missions, which is a big challenge on its own.
By Syed Hussain Ather

Merlin

Merlin ponders highs and lows on Mars, getting the length of a day, ‘leaking’ from other universes, and weight loss for the Moon.

Pose your own questions for future issues.

Sky Highlights

March begins with Venus and Jupiter, the brightest objects in the night sky other than the Moon, forming a dazzling pair in the west at nightfall, but they quickly separate, with Jupiter disappearing in the sunset by month’s end. Venus, on the other hand, climbs higher, sliding near the shoulder of the bull, represented by the Pleiades star cluster, a third of the way through April. The Moon teams up with Venus and the bull’s orange eye, the star Aldebaran, later on.

Miscellany

Pond hopping, retiring a high flyer, and real science from your own back yard

AstroNews

  • A European spacecraft is ready to head for Jupiter, where it will probe the oceans on three giant moons.
  • Japan prepares a lunar lander and an X-ray telescope for launch.
  • The universe was making galaxies soon after the Big Bang.

In the May/June Issue

We’ll bring you news about the exciting search for dark matter at McDonald Observatory, and discuss plans for growing food on the Moon and Mars.

Download a sample issue (PDF)
 

Digital Edition

Get the digital edition of our bimonthly magazine and start reading StarDate today!

Subscription Archive

Current digital subscribers: If you missed an issue, download it from your subscription archive.

Back Issues

If you've missed an issue, you can order it in either print or digital format.

Order by Phone

Call 800-STARDATE
(8-5 CT, Monday-Friday)

Give a Gift Subscription

GiftStarDate makes a great gift for science students, avid skywatchers, and anyone who wants to stay in touch with the glorious universe. Order a gift subscription today!

Write for StarDate

Interested in submitting article proposals? Please download our writers guidelines.

 

Cover StarDate March/April 2023