Earth
How does smoke from wildfires affect birds?
Smoke from distant wildfires can affect birds in several ways, such as through changes in health, vocalization behavior and migratory patterns.
Tonight
Find Polaris and Thuban via the Big Dipper in July
Polaris and Thuban are famous for serving - now or thousands of years ago - as Earth's northern pole star. Use the Big Dipper to find them tonight.
Sun

Sun news: Solar action is on the far side

Sun news July 15, 2026: Far-side fireworks! Departed sunspots keep flaring beyond the limb, while glancing CME blows nudged Earth to Kp 4 this morning.
Human World
Space

Giant space mirror approved to test sunlight on demand

The Federal Communications Commission has approved a test of a giant space mirror, despite fears that this could harm ecosystems, people and science.
Space

Hera mission will arrive at asteroid impact site in November

The Hera mission will reach Didymos and Dimorphos in 2026 to reveal what happened after DART crashed into Dimorphos in the first planetary defense test.
Astronomy Essentials
Tonight

Visible planets and night sky guide for July

EarthSky's visible planets and night sky guide. Tomorrow evening, look for the thin moon near brilliant planet Venus and the star Regulus.
Brightest Stars

Summer Triangle star Deneb is distant and luminous

When you gaze at the bright star Deneb, you’re gazing across thousands of light-years of space at one of the bright stars of the huge Summer Triangle asterism.
Earth

The giraffe weevil: When a beetle grows a giraffe’s neck

The giraffe weevil is a tiny Madagascan beetle with a super-long neck, leaf-rolling skills and a fantastic evolutionary story.
Human World

4th batch of Pentagon UAP files: ‘Floating brain’ goes viral

The 4th batch of the Pentagon UAP files has just been released. The files range from a "floating brain" video to more historical documents, including from NASA.
Constellations

See 3 small constellations near the Summer Triangle

You need a dark country sky to see these 3 small constellations: Vulpecula, Delphinus and Sagitta. They are all near the Summer Triangle.

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