Human World
Archaeologists recreate Pompeii victim using AI technology
Archaeologists have used AI technology to recreate a Pompeii victim. The man fled the volcano while trying to protect his head with a terracotta bowl.
Astronomy Essentials
Tonight
Visible planets and night sky guide for May
Visible planets and night sky guide. Tomorrow morning, the moon rises an hour or more in the east after sunset. It'll be close to the bright red star Antares.
Brightest Stars

Arcturus, brightest star of the northern sky

Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern half of the sky. It's easy to find in spring in the Northern Hemisphere near the handle of the Big Dipper.
Today's Image

See the best deep-sky photos of April 2026

Enjoy this gallery of deep-sky photos for April 2026 from our EarthSky community. If you have a great photo to share, we'd love to see it!
Moon Phases

May 1 full moon is a Flower Moon and micromoon

The 1st May full moon happens on May 1. It'll look full on the nights before and after that, too. The 2nd May full moon - a Blue Moon - will fall on May 30-31.
Space

Surprise! A Jupiter-like exoplanet with water-ice clouds

A Jupiter-like exoplanet with water-ice clouds? NASA's Webb space telescope has found the 1st signs of cirrus-like clouds on exoplanet Epsilon Indi Ab.
Earth

Pyrocumulonimbus clouds are thunderheads spawned by fires

Pyrocumulonimbus clouds are fire-driven thunderstorms. The storms can produce lightning and strong winds that make the fire situation worse.
Astronomy Essentials
Human World

Happy May Day! Today is an astronomy holiday

Happy May Day! This annual celebration has its roots in astronomy as 1 of 4 cross-quarter days. Dancing around a maypole is a traditional May Day celebration.
Human World

May birthstone: The magnificent green emerald

Happy birthday, May babies! The May birthstone is the emerald, a stone once worn by royalty in ancient Babylon and Egypt.
Astronomy Essentials

2026 Eta Aquariid meteor shower best before dawn on May 5

May's Eta Aquariid meteor shower is best in 2026 on the morning of May 5. Find a way to block the moonlight and watch in the hours before dawn.