Jupiter's perihelion (closest point to the sun) comes January 20 at 12 UTC. The distance between the sun and Jupiter is now 460 million miles (740 million km).
February 2023 visible planets including dazzling Jupiter and Venus in the west after sunset. Mars is high in the evening sky. Mercury is up before sunrise.
A new study focuses on mammals headed for extinction. It shows that human activities push animals into poor-quality environments, where they often do poorly.
In 2023, there are 3 new supermoons. And there will be a full supermoon on July 3, August 1, August 31 and September 29. The August 31 one is also a Blue Moon.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.