Posts by

Larry Sessions

Alpha Centauri, the star system closest to our sun

Our closest stellar neighbors are the 3 stars that make up the Alpha Centauri system. They lie just over 4 light-years away from us.

Larry Sessions

Shireen Gonzaga

April 17, 2026

Coma Berenices galaxy cluster, best in April and May

Myriads of galaxies - in all shapes and sizes and visible only in telescopes - shine in the Coma Berenices galaxy cluster.

Larry Sessions

April 14, 2026

Coma Berenices: See how Leo the Lion lost his tail

Coma Berenices is the constellation of Queen Berenice's Hair. It used to be the tail of Leo the Lion before it became its own constellation.

Larry Sessions

Deborah Byrd

March 30, 2026

5 moon myths that still fool people today

There are plenty of myths that surround the moon. Here are 5 of the most popular. How many of these myths have you been led to believe?

Larry Sessions

March 27, 2026

Look for the colors of the stars in the night sky

Winter is the perfect time for noticing the colors of the stars. Start with Capella, then move on to Taurus and Orion. Check out some colorful stars tonight!

Larry Sessions

Editors of EarthSky

February 19, 2026

Can you see Canopus, the 2nd-brightest star?

Here's how to spot Canopus, the 2nd-brightest star in the sky as seen from Earth, on February evenings. It’s located far south on the sky’s dome.

Deborah Byrd

Larry Sessions

February 17, 2026

Meet the Crab nebula, remnant of an exploding star

The Crab nebula is visible with binoculars or small telescopes. Scan near bright stars in Taurus to spot this expanding stellar remnant.

Larry Sessions

Shireen Gonzaga

January 20, 2026

Blue-white Rigel is Orion’s brightest star

Blue-white Rigel shines as the brightest star in the constellation Orion the Hunter. It's a hot massive star, that someday will explode as a supernova.

Larry Sessions

January 16, 2026

What was the Christmas star? Science and mystery

What was the Christmas star? Some scientific explanations attempt to explain the Star of Bethlehem, including a planetary conjunction, comet or supernova.

Larry Sessions

Deborah Byrd

December 21, 2025

Orange Aldebaran is Taurus the Bull’s fiery eye

Aldebaran is an enormous star that marks one of the eyes of Taurus the Bull. If placed where our sun is, its surface would pass the orbit of Mercury.

Deborah Byrd

Larry Sessions

December 3, 2025

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Larry Sessions

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Larry Sessions has written many favorite posts in EarthSky's Tonight area. He's a former planetarium director in Little Rock, Fort Worth and Denver and an adjunct faculty member at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He's a longtime member of NASA's Solar System Ambassadors program. His articles have appeared in numerous publications including Space.com, Sky & Telescope, Astronomy and Rolling Stone. His small book on world star lore, Constellations, was published by Running Press.