Astronomy Essentials
Tonight
Visible planets and night sky guide for June
Visible planets and night sky guide. Spot elusive Mercury after the sun goes down. Look for it in the west. It's at its highest point on June 15.
Space
Did galaxy-killing wind shape the early universe?
Winds from intense star formation in the early universe swept away material for future stars. This galaxy-killing wind led to the early deaths of galaxies.
Constellations

Cygnus the Swan flies along the Milky Way

Cygnus the Swan is a constellation that lies in front of the starlit band of the Milky Way. Its brightest star, Deneb, is part of the Summer Triangle.
Tonight

Mercury is farthest from the sunset on June 15

The innermost planet, Mercury, will be 18 degrees from the sun at greatest elongation at 18 UTC on February 19. Look for it shortly after sunset near Venus.
Tonight

Venus-Jupiter conjunction: Sky’s 2 brightest planets meet

Did you see the Venus-Jupiter conjunction? The planets are still close together and putting on a show in the west after sunset. Read more here.
Earth

El Niño is officially here! How strong will it get?

NOAA's National Weather Service said on June 11, 2026, that El Niño has arrived. It's likely to strengthen and could become a super El Niño.
Space

Dark matter: How new telescopes might help us find it

New telescopes might bring scientists closer to detecting dark matter. They could soon reveal signals that finally let us understand this mysterious substance.
Space

Comet 3I/ATLAS has methane, unexpected discovery reveals

New analysis of data from the Webb space telescope shows that Comet 3I/ATLAS has methane. This shows its origin is different from comets in our solar system.
Earth

Severe weather threat upgraded today for Midwest

Severe weather is expected Thursday across the Midwest and Great Lakes region. Tornadoes, destructive wind and large hail are possible.
Tonight

Earliest sunrises come before the summer solstice

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, your earliest sunrises of the year are happening around now. Earliest sunsets are in the Southern Hemisphere.