Posts by

Kelly Kizer Whitt

New clues to how giant galaxies formed in the early universe

Astronomers studying giant galaxies in the early universe have found some 40 galaxies tied together that will likely transform into 1 huge elliptical.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

February 12, 2026

Meteorite hunting? Here’s tips on how to find one

Meteorite hunters look for rocks different from their surroundings. Later, they analyze the properties of unusual rocks to confirm it's a meteorite.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

February 6, 2026

What are the best targets for binoculars?

The best targets for binoculars in the night sky are the moon, planets, star clusters and nebulae. You can even catch the smudge of distant galaxies in them.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

February 4, 2026

Dorado and Mensa house the Large Magellanic Cloud

The constellations Dorado and Mensa are deep in southern skies. Between them, stretching across the border, lies the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 30, 2026

Heiligenschein is the halo around your head’s shadow

Have you ever looked down at your shadow and noticed it looks like you have a bright halo around your head? That's heiligenschein.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 28, 2026

The moon’s terminator line divides night and day

The moon’s terminator line divides day and night on the moon. As we see it from Earth, it marks the line of lunar sunsets or sunrises. Read more.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 25, 2026

Here’s what ‘habitable’ means to astronomers

When astronomers say a distant world is 'habitable,' what do they mean? Do they mean humans could live there? Do they mean we've discovered alien life?

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 18, 2026

Crew-11 astronauts returned to Earth this morning

The 4 Crew-11 astronauts returned to Earth earlier this morning, January 15. The astronaut who needed evacuation, NASA says, is "doing fine".

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 15, 2026

Meet the Winter Circle, aka the Winter Hexagon

The brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere's winter sky form the shape of the Winter Circle, or Hexagon, that will help you locate 6 constellations.

Bruce McClure

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 15, 2026

Earth’s ice ages shaped by tiny tugs from Mars

Computer simulations show the presence of Mars affects the cycles that cause Earth's ice ages. Without Mars, those cycles vanish.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 14, 2026

Kelly Kizer Whitt

Kelly Kizer Whitt writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She's been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children's picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.