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Meet Regulus, Leo the Lion’s Heart and brightest star
The bright star Regulus in Leo the Lion is prominent in the evening sky in May. It looks like a single point of light, but is really 4 stars.
May 21, 2025
Polaris is the present-day North Star of Earth
Many people think Polaris is the brightest star, but it's only 48th in brightness. Still, Polaris is famous because the entire northern sky wheels around it.
May 16, 2025
Arcturus, the brightest star of the northern sky
Arcturus is the brightest star north of the celestial equator. Near the handle of the Big Dipper, it's easy to find in spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
May 13, 2025
Spica, the bright beacon of Virgo, is 2 stars
Spica is a scorching-hot pair of stars, whirling very closely around one another. One of them may go supernova someday. It's the brightest star in Virgo.
May 9, 2025
Acrux is the brightest star in the Southern Cross
Acrux, also called Alpha Crucis, is the brightest star in the constellation Crux, the Southern Cross. And it is not 1, but 2 stars.
May 6, 2025
Bellatrix is Orion’s 3rd-brightest star
Orion's shoulder star Bellatrix has a name that means "female warrior." Bellatrix is one of the hottest stars you can see without optical aid.
November 24, 2024
Mirach is your guide star to finding 3 galaxies
Mirach in the constellation Andromeda helps stargazers locate the Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and "Mirach's Ghost" (NGC 404).
November 10, 2024
Alpheratz belongs to Andromeda, but is part of the Great Square
Alpheratz appears to our eyes as a single star but it is actually a close binary star system. Many stargazers use it to locate the Andromeda galaxy.
October 9, 2024
Delta Cephei helps measure cosmic distances
Delta Cephei is an inconspicuous variable star in the northern constellation Cepheus the King. This important star helped establish the cosmic distance scale.
September 24, 2024
Meet Delta Scorpii, aka Dschubba, it’s a variable star
Delta Scorpii, also known as Dschubba, is a variable star in the constellation Scorpius. With the eyes alone, you can check its brightness for yourself.
July 24, 2024
