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Posts by
Editors of EarthSky
January birthstone: The colorful garnet
Garnets, the beautiful January birthstone, are often thought to be red gemstones. But they also come in yellow, green, orange, brown and black.
January 4, 2026
Why no retrograde motion for Mars in 2026?
Mars won't have any retrograde - or westward - motion in 2026. What is retrograde motion? An explanation, and bizarre examples on other worlds, here.
January 3, 2026
How to translate UTC to your local time zone
The Earth has about 24 time zones. Because these differ widely, science uses Universal Time, or UTC. Learn how to translate UTC to your local time zone.
January 1, 2026
Yarkovsky effect: Pushing asteroids with sunlight
The Yarkovsky effect is a minuscule push on a small body in space, imparted by nothing more than sunlight. It can change the direction of asteroids.
January 1, 2026
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.
January 1, 2026
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.
January 1, 2026
Astronomy Essentials
Saturn at opposition – brightest for 2026 – on October 4
Don't miss Saturn at opposition on and around the night of October 4, 2026. That's when our planet Earth passes between the sun and Saturn.
January 1, 2026
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.
January 1, 2026
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.
January 1, 2026
Neptune at opposition on September 26, 2026
Neptune at opposition - when it's 180 degrees from the sun on the sky's dome - comes on September 26, 2026. You'll need optical aid to spot it.
January 1, 2026
