Astronomy Essentials

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Mirach is your guide star to finding 3 galaxies

Mirach in the constellation Andromeda helps stargazers locate the Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and "Mirach's Ghost."

Bruce McClure

Shireen Gonzaga

November 13, 2026

Visible planets and night sky guide for November

Visible planets and night sky guide: Look west shortly after sunset to see earthshine on the crescent moon. And watch a video here about the Leonid meteors.

November 12, 2026

Is there a North Star for Mars?

Is there a North Star for Mars ... a guide star for future explorers? Not in any satisfying way. But Martian stargazers wouldn't lack for things to see!

Deborah Byrd

November 12, 2026

Taurid meteors in 2026: All you need to know

You might see Taurid meteors from late October to early November. Expect up to 10 meteors per hour, and some of them might be fireballs.

Deborah Byrd

November 11, 2026

Dark nebulae are star-obscuring clouds of gas and dust

Dark nebulae are clouds of gas and dust in space. They block the light of stars shining behind them. Often, they're locations where new stars are forming.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

November 5, 2026

Halloween is an astronomy holiday. It’s a cross-quarter day

A cross-quarter day falls between an equinox and a solstice. Halloween is the year's 4th cross-quarter day and the spookiest of them all.

Bruce McClure

October 30, 2026

Mars sometimes is bright and sometimes is faint

Mars emerged in the April 2026 morning sky and is visible in the morning through year's end. Its next opposition - when it's brightest - is February 2027.

Deborah Byrd

October 28, 2026

Hunter’s Moon falls on October 25-26, with Saturn nearby

The 2026 October full moon is the Hunter's Moon. It falls around October 25-26. It's near the planet Saturn and in front of the constellation Aries the Ram.

Deborah Byrd

October 25, 2026