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.
Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus the Bull, is at one tip of a V-shaped cluster. If placed where our sun is, its surface would pass the orbit of Mercury.
On December 5, 2024, NASA announced a further delay to the Artemis 2 and 3 missions. Artemis 2 is now scheduled for no earlier than April 2026. More here.
MOND theory: There's increasing evidence that astronomical theories don’t match observations. Is it time to rethink our story of how our universe came to be?
Stars in our Milky Way galaxy move in a more or less orderly way. But a star that moves differently from the general stream of stars is known as a runaway star.
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!
Our Editor-in-Chief Deborah Byrd works to keep all the astronomy balls in the air between EarthSky's website, YouTube page and social media platforms. She's the primary editor of our popular daily newsletter and a frequent host of EarthSky livestreams. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. 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.