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Editors of EarthSky
The return of Sirius in the morning signals seasonal change
A sign of the changing season is the return of Sirius before sunup. Want to make sure you've spotted Sirius? The 3 stars in Orion's Belt point to it.
August 26, 2026
Pluto demoted to dwarf planet 20 years ago today
Pluto is the largest of many small bodies in the outer solar system. That's partly why it was demoted from major planet to dwarf planet in 2006.
August 24, 2026
Inferior conjunction of planet Venus on October 23-24, 2026
Venus reaches inferior conjunction - passing between Earth and the sun - in 2026 at 4 UTC on October 24. Then Venus emerges in the morning sky.
August 23, 2026
Voyager 2 confirms Neptune’s rings on August 22 in 1989
NASA's Voyager 2 confirmed the discovery of Neptune's rings on August 22, 1989, when it took images of a faint, continuous ring system around the planet.
August 21, 2026
Perseid meteor shower 2027! All you need to know
The Perseid meteor shower peaks this week! It's best between midnight and dawn. The peak is August 12 and 13 before dawn, but watch around those mornings, too.
August 20, 2026
Give me 5 minutes and I’ll give you Saturn
We're now in the best months for viewing Saturn in 2026. It'll be at it's best around October 4 when it's closest to Earth and visible all night.
August 18, 2026
A moon for Mars! Asaph Hall finds Phobos 149 years ago
On this date in 1877, astronomer Asaph Hall discovered a moon for Mars: Phobos, the larger of 2 moons. He discovered the other moon, Deimos, later that year.
August 17, 2026
Venus brightest in the morning sky November 29
See Venus brightest in the morning sky this week, with greatest brilliancy coming around November 29, 2026. Look east before sunrise.
August 13, 2026
Delta Aquariid meteor shower: All you need to know in 2027
The peak of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower is late July. But the shower rambles along steadily for weeks and intermingles with the famous Perseids.
August 13, 2026
Will you see the Jupiter-Mercury conjunction on August 15?
A conjunction is when 2 objects share the same right ascension. The Jupiter-Mercury conjunction on August 15 is the next one. Look for them before sunrise.
August 12, 2026
