Posts by

Kelly Kizer Whitt

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

Top 10 brightest objects in our solar system

Ready for some easy astronomy? How about the top 10 brightest objects in our solar system? If you've seen every one of these objects, congrats!

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 14, 2026

Potentially hazardous asteroid to pass Earth safely Monday

A potentially hazardous asteroid, 2005 UK1, will safely pass Earth on January 12, 2026. At this time it will be more than 32 times the moon's distance away.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 8, 2026

Greatest elongation, superior and inferior conjunction

When Mercury and Venus are as far from the sun as they get from our earthly point of view, they are at greatest elongation. It is the best time to observe them.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 1, 2026

Deep-sky objects: Small telescope and binocular targets

Deep-sky objects - including bright and dark nebulae, star clusters and distant galaxies - are favorite targets for amateur stargazers.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 1, 2026

Sky measurements: Degrees, arcminutes and arcseconds

What are sky measurements - or distances - in the night sky? Here's what it means for objects to be several degrees (or arcminutes or arcseconds) apart.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

January 1, 2026

Rare alignment of Earth, moon and sun in early January

There will be a rare alignment of Earth, the moon and the sun in early January. The moon will be a supermoon on the same date that Earth is closest to the sun.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

December 31, 2025

Kelly Kizer Whitt

Kelly Kizer Whitt - EarthSky’s nature and travel vlogger on YouTube - 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.