Earth’s Moon
Earth and the Moon are more like a double planet than a planet and a moon. The Moon is quite […]
Pluto
Because it is so far from the Sun, astronomers had a hard time measuring Pluto’s size. They finally got it
Venus
The Venusian clouds kept astronomers from seeing the planet's surface. Without visible landmarks, they could not measure how fast Venus
The Milky Way
Stretching across the dark night sky, not easily visible when the Moon is in the sky, is a faint irregular
Ongoing Explorations
January 12 NASA’s New Horizons mission is scheduled to begin scanning Pluto and its entourage of moons. It will fly
Virgo
In mythology, Virgo was associated with the harvest. It represented a harvest goddess or the daughter of a goddess. The
Aquarius
Aquarius, one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac, is best viewed during the evening skies of late summer and
Cancer, the Crab
It is a small constellation of faint stars, so it is difficult to find in the sky. In mythology, it
Libra, the Scales
Libra’s brightest stars, however, are named for the next constellation over, Scorpius. The stars are Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali, which are
Pisces, the Fish
Several thousand years ago, when the zodiac was first drawn, the Sun stood inside Aries at the time of the