Posts by 

Editors of EarthSky

Best stargazing of 2026: Top events not to miss

Here's the best stargazing of 2026! Read about the top celestial events not to miss in the coming year, and mark them on your calendar.

Earthshine is a lovely glow on the unlit portion of the moon

Earthshine - the dim glow on the darkened portion of a crescent moon - is light from Earth cast on the night side of the moon. Watch for it around the new moon.

Radiant point of meteor showers: All you need to know

Meteors enter Earth's atmosphere on parallel paths. So, you'll see meteors appear to come from a single point in the sky: the radiant point!

Dwarf planet Ceres discovered 225 years ago today

Dwarf planet Ceres was discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi on January 1, 1801. That was 225 years ago. It was 1st considered an asteroid.

Why is there no eclipse every full and new moon?

If the moon orbited Earth on the same plane that Earth circles the sun, we'd have an eclipse at every full and new moon. Here's why we don't.

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 does the New Year begin on January 1?

Why does the New Year begin on January 1? The tradition stems from the festival of Janus, the Roman god of past and future.

Earth at perihelion – closest to sun – on January 3

Every year in early January, Earth reaches its closest point to the sun in an event called perihelion. In 2026, it's on January 3.

Latest sunrises late December and early January

Did you know the latest sunrises don’t occur on the shortest day, and the latest sunsets don’t fall on the longest day of the year?

Solstices and equinoxes seen from space

See how sunlight falls on Earth's surface during the solstices and equinoxes, and get a better understanding of why Earth's tilt causes the seasons.