Posts by 

Kelly Kizer Whitt

Space

A new mini-moon for Earth! Meet 2026 QQ8

Earth has another new mini-moon! The little space rock 2026 QQ8 began orbiting Earth in April and will stay through 2026.

Crew emerges from Mars habitat simulation after yearlong test

On October 31, 2026, 4 participants in NASA's Mars habitat simulation emerged after 1 year of testing for what astronauts might encounter on a visit to Mars.

Pegasus the Flying Horse, and the best sky story ever

Pegasus the Flying Horse is the 7th largest constellation. It dominates fall skies in the Northern Hemisphere and has a famous asterism called the Great Square.

Dark sky conference: Under One Sky, November 6-7

On November 6-7, 2026, DarkSky International will hold a virtual dark sky conference called Under One Sky. Learn more about it and light pollution here.

How to see Earth’s shadow at sunrise and sunset

You can see Earth's shadow in both the evening and morning sky. It appears as a bluish band opposite the sun. And you might see the Belt of Venus too.

New dwarf planet discovered by Rubin?

Astronomers using the Rubin Observatory have discovered a new dwarf planet candidate. It lies just beyond the orbit of Pluto.

Could the Taurid meteors bring a risk of airbursts in 2026?

A researcher says the Taurid meteor shower could bring an increased risk of an airburst in 2026. But these Halloween fireballs are based on 2 big IFs.

The Witch Head Nebula rises near Orion on Halloween

The Witch Head Nebula rises near the star Rigel in Orion on Halloween night, but it's too faint to see without a large telescope. It's perfect sight for Halloween.
Space

Is this our solar system’s future? Scientists spot disk around dead star

Researchers have discovered a white dwarf surrounded by a debris disk with 2 separate rings. It offers a possible glimpse of our solar system's future.

Lake Powell rises more than 10 feet after heavy rains

After heavy rains in October, Lake Powell has risen more than 10 feet. But it still has a long way to go to recover from decades of drought.