New Year’s Star Sirius, the moon and Jupiter ring in 2026

Entertain your friends on New Year's Eve by showing them the New Year's Star, the soon-to-be full supermoon and Jupiter. Sirius is highest at midnight.

Why are stars so bright on winter nights?

In December, January and February, we look away from the Milky Way's cloudy core toward the Orion spiral arm, with stars so bright they capture our attention.

Top 6 favorite EarthSky videos from 2025. Watch them here!

Here are our top 6 favorite EarthSky videos from 2025. What will we share in 2026? Visit YouTube.com/@EarthSky to find out!

What was the Christmas star? Science and mystery

What was the Christmas star? Some scientific explanations attempt to explain the Star of Bethlehem, including a planetary conjunction, comet or supernova.

December has the longest days (wherever you live)

The longest days accompany the winter solstice. In December, a day - a whole cycle of day and night - is about half a minute longer than the average 24 hours.

Forms of aurora: Arcs, curtains, coronas and more

Here are some of the forms of aurora that you might see. Some are more common, such as diffuse glows, while others are a sign of a big geomagnetic storm.

Mysterious 3200 Phaethon is the Geminids’ parent object

3200 Phaethon is the weird comet-like asteroid that spawns the Geminid meteor shower. New research reveals more answers ... and questions.

Thinking of buying a telescope? Read these tips 1st

Are you thinking of buying a telescope? Here's how to know if you're ready, with tips on what 1st-time buyers should look for.

Jupiter’s moons: How to see and enjoy them

November and December 2025 are great months for seeing Jupiter's moons Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto with binoculars or a small telescope.

The last full supermoon of 2025. Best pics here!

The full Cold Moon on December 4 was the last supermoon of 2025. See a gallery of photos of the last full supermoon from the EarthSky community here.