Posts by 

Marcy Curran

Visible planets and night sky guide for January

Visible planets and night sky guide. Bright Venus and golden Saturn are approaching each other in the evening sky. See them close together this week.

Meteor shower guide 2025: Next up is the April Lyrids

The 2025 Quadrantid meteor shower is best before dawn on January 3. Your 2025 meteor shower guide here.

Messier objects are fuzzy patches in the night sky

What are Messier objects? They're a list of 110 star clusters, nebulae and galaxies, compiled by comet-hunter Charles Messier in the 1700s.

R Aquarii: A dynamic duo with geyser-like eruptions

Hubble captured images of R Aquarii, a binary star system 700 light-years away. It has violent eruptions that produce spiral filaments of glowing gas.

What’s a supermoon? The last one for 2024 is coming

What's a supermoon? We had 5 new supermoons earlier in 2024. Now we're having 4 full supermoons in a row. The November 15 supermoon is the last one this year.

Last of 4 full supermoons in a row is the Super Beaver Moon

There are 4 full supermoons in a row in 2024. The fourth one is November 15. It's the Super Beaver Moon. Supermoons look brighter than ordinary full moons.

Weird galaxy: Did Webb find the missing link to first stars?

Researchers using the Webb telescope discovered a weird galaxy in the early universe where gas outshines its stars and may offer clues to the early universe.

Partial lunar eclipse September 17-18, 2024

A shallow partial lunar eclipse takes place on September 17-18, 2024. It's visible in most of the Western Hemisphere. Maps and details here.
Favorite Star Patterns

Teapot of Sagittarius points to Milky Way center

As you gaze toward the famous Teapot asterism in the constellation Sagittarius, you're looking toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy.

Dog days of summer: Hottest in July and August

The dog days of summer are named for the Dog Star Sirius - the brightest star in the sky - in the constellation Canis Major the Greater Dog. Learn why here.