Sun
Sun activity: The big sunspot region is getting bigger
Sun activity for May 29, 2023, is low. You can still see AR3315. It's even bigger now! And several possible regions could soon rotate into view.
Astronomy Essentials
Mercury is up before sunrise and visible until mid-June
Watch for Mercury before sunup, the bright planet Jupiter will be nearby. Mercury reaches greatest elongation on May 29. It's best from the Southern Hemisphere.
Human World

Manhattanhenge in 2023: When and where to see it

New Yorkers will have a few opportunities in 2023 to watch for Manhattanhenge, an alignment of the sunset along city streets. Get your cameras ready!
Earth

2023 hurricane forecast: Busy Pacific, quieter Atlantic, due to El Niño

The 2023 hurricane forecast is out! Due to El Niño, forecasters are calling for a busy Pacific basin and a quieter season in the Atlantic.
Space

Hubble’s hunt for an intermediate-mass black hole

Scientists using the Hubble space telescope have found evidence for an intermediate-mass black hole in the closest globular cluster to Earth, M4.
Human World
Space

Frank Drake, SETI visionary, born on this date

May 28, 2023, would be the 93rd birthday of Frank Drake. He formulated the famous Drake equation in 1961, as a tool for contemplating alien civilizations.
Astronomy Essentials

How is stellar magnitude used in astronomy?

The brightest stars to the eye are 1st magnitude, and dimmest stars to the eye are 6th magnitude. How does stellar magnitude work in astronomy?
Spaceflight

SpaceX Starlink launches for May. Watch here

SpaceX’s fifth and final Starlink launch for the month is currently scheduled from California between 5:27 - 7:15 UTC on May 31, 2023. Watch the livestream here.
Today's Image

Best deep-sky photos of May 2023

Enjoy this gallery of the best deep-sky photos of May from our EarthSky community. If you have a great photo to share, send it in. We love to see them!
Astronomy Essentials
Space

What’s a safe distance from a supernova for Earth?

What's a safe distance from a supernova? To survive a supernova, recent data says Earth would have to be at least 160 light-years away from the exploding star.