Posts by 

Editors of EarthSky

Happy Lunar New Year 2026! The Year of the Horse

Lunar New Year 2026 kicks off February 17 with the new moon, marking the start of the Year of the Horse — fireworks, dragons and global celebrations await!

Jupiter’s moons: How to see and enjoy them

December 2026 and January 2027 are great months for seeing Jupiter's moons Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto with binoculars or a small telescope.

Amazing cloud streets video: See it here!

See a new video of cloud streets from off the coast of the southeastern U.S. and read more about the phenomenon here.

Happy Groundhog Day! Will Phil see his shadow?

The predicted high for Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on February 2, Groundhog Day, is 24 degrees F (-4 C) and cloudy. Will Phil see his shadow?

The February birthstone is the purple amethyst

Are you a February baby? Here's some cool info about your February birthstone, the amethyst. Read the lore of this purple stone, a variety of quartz.

Watch for the February full moon – or Snow Moon – on February 1

The full Snow Moon will shine brightly all night on February 1-2, 2026. This February full moon will glow near the star Regulus in Leo the Lion.

Betelgeuse will explode someday, but WHEN?

Will Betelgeuse have another period of noticeable dimming? Betelgeuse will explode as a supernova someday. When it does, it'll be visible in daylight.

2027 Quadrantid meteor shower has narrow peak on January 3-4

The Quadrantid meteor shower in 2027 will peak in the hours before dawn on January 4, in a dark sky.

Voyager 2 met Uranus 40 years ago

Voyager 2 met Uranus on January 24, 1986. The spacecraft sent data that revealed 2 new rings, 10 new moons, radiation belts, and a very unusual magnetic field.

Which Milky Way spiral arm contains our sun?

Where do we live in the Milky Way galaxy? We lie between the major arms in a smaller spiral arm known as the Orion Arm. See diagrams here.