Posts by 

Kelly Kizer Whitt

Saturn’s moon count grows by 62 for a record 145 satellites

Saturn's moon count grew by 62 with the newest discovery, bringing the planet's satellite total to 145. That puts it above Jupiter's 95 recognized moons.

Largest cosmic explosion ever seen is still ongoing

Astronomers have found the largest cosmic explosion yet seen, from a cloud of dust around a black hole. So far the explosion has lasted more than 3 years.

Virgo the Maiden in northern spring skies

Virgo the Maiden is the largest of the zodiac constellations. A handy mnemonic device - using the Big Dipper and its bright star Spica - make it easy to find.

Cyclone Mocha weakens rapidly over Myanmar

Powerful cyclone Mocha made landfall on Sunday in Myanmar, near the border of Bangladesh, in a populous, low-lying and war-torn region.

NASA’s Astrophoto Challenge for summer 2023

NASA invites the public to participate in its Astrophoto Challenge for summer 2023. For this challenge, the focus is on the Phantom Galaxy. Details here.

Media we love: The Doomsday Book

In this installment of Media we love, EarthSky editor Kelly Kizer Whitt recommends The Doomsday Book by Marshall Brain.

Jammed JUICE mission antenna free at last

After 3 weeks of troubleshooting, ESA, on May 12, 2023, announced that the primary antenna for the JUICE mission has finally deployed.

Stargazing in national parks in the U.S.

Stargazing in national parks ... yes! Increasing light pollution in the United States makes national parks some of the last dark refuges.

Did an active sun kickstart life on Earth?

In the early days of Earth, a more active sun showered particles onto our atmosphere, which could have created the building blocks of proteins and organic life.

Fomalhaut has 3 nested belts around the star

Webb has spotted dusty debris disks around the star Fomalhaut. These 3 nested belts are similar to our solar system's asteroid and Kuiper belts.