Astronomy Highlights
The Lyrid meteor shower is visible tonight! Start watching around 11pm with the action picking up after midnight til about 4am. The radiant is between the constellations of Lyra and Hercules. The trail of debris left by Comet Thatcher should produce
Look to the west this evening to find the Pleiades sandwiched between the waxing crescent Moon and dazzling Venus, at -3.9 magnitude. Orion will still be visible for a while longer and Jupiter is above within the bounds of Gemini, the twins.
It’s officially spring the Northern Hemisphere! Curious about the equinox? Why does the Sun rise due east and set due west?Why are day and night equal in length on the equinoxes?What happens in the Southern Hemisphere?What are some of the
Have you experienced a total lunar eclipse? No telescope required! Just bundle up and step outside at 3:45am tomorrow morning to watch the final phases of the partial eclipse leading up to totality at 4:04am (MST). The Moon will remain in Earth
Saturn slides down the southwestern sky tonight just behind the waxing crescent Moon. You’ll need telescope to see Neptune, but the Moon and Saturn will make a pretty pair without any optical aides.Graphic from SkySafari app.
The gigantic planet Jupiter is at opposition tonight — meaning it rises opposite of the Sun at sunset and sets opposite of the Sun at sunrise, making it visible all night long. The gas giant is in the constellation of Gemini and is impossible
Take a moment tonight and enjoy the first full Moon of 2026.Also, check out the 2026 NASA Science Calendar! You can download the latest calendar and wallpaper backgrounds for a desktop or mobile device.
The Geminids are expected to peak around 1am in the early morning of the 14th. An hourly rate of 150 meteors can be seen if you’re under dark skies, but the number falls to about 50 per hour if viewed from the city. The Geminids are very
The nearly Full Moon (99% illuminated) rises with Pleiades this evening. Grab your binoculars to enhance the view. And, watch tomorrow night as well, to soak up a view of the last Full Moon of 2025. Graphic from SkySafari app.
Saturn has lost its rings! Set up your telescope tonight to see the rings edge-on. You’ll spot it easily as the bright object (0.9 magnitude) below the great square of Pegasus in the southeastern sky. This only happens every 15 years. So, invite