Posts by 

Larry Sessions

61 Cygni – a double star – is nicknamed Flying Star

Compared to other stars, 61 Cygni moves quite rapidly against the background of more distant stars, revealing its proximity to Earth.

Explore the Lagoon Nebula, M8, in Sagittarius

The Lagoon Nebula, or Messier 8, is a large emission nebula in the constellation Sagittarius that observers can explore with binoculars.

Summer Triangle star: Altair is variable and spins fast!

Altair is only 16.8 light-years from Earth, making it one of our closest stellar neighbors. It's variable in an usual way, and it spins very fast!

Summer Triangle star: Deneb is distant and luminous

When you gaze at the bright star Deneb, you’re gazing across thousands of light-years of space at one of the bright stars of the huge Summer Triangle asterism.

Summer Triangle star: Vega is bright and blue-white

There's a noticeable star pattern called the Summer Triangle in the east on July and August evenings. Its brightest star is blue-white Vega.

Top 10 cool things about stars that you probably didn’t know

Here's a collection of 10 cool things about stars that you probably didn't know. Big stars, green stars, black holes, stars by the millions, and more!

Top 10 space objects to see during the day

Love astronomy, but don't like to stay up late? Here are the top 10 space objects you can see - under the right conditions - during the day.

Massive ruby red Antares is the Scorpion’s Heart

Red Antares, Heart of the Scorpion in the constellation Scorpius, is a mighty star, a red supergiant in the last stages of its life span.

It’s summer. What’s noon to you? Midday? High noon?

What do you mean by noon? Do you define it by your clock or wristwatch? Or the gnawing in your stomach? Here's how astronomers think about noontime.

Spica, the bright beacon of Virgo, is 2 stars

Spica is a very close, scorching-hot pair of stars, whirling around one another. One of them may go supernova someday. It's the brightest star in Virgo.

2024 EarthSky Fundraiser

Any amount will help us reach our goal.

Would you consider

donating?

If you've already donated, we apologize for the popup and greatly appreciate your support.