The Beehive cluster: A swarm of 1,000 stars

The Beehive cluster is an open star cluster that lies near the center of the constellation Cancer the Crab. It goes by many names, including Praesepe and M44.

Meet the Crab Nebula, remnant of an exploding star

The Crab Nebula, the scattered fragments of a supernova, or exploding star, was observed by earthly skywatchers in the year 1054.

The Orion Nebula is a starry nursery

You can see the Orion Nebula as a fuzzy spot in the sky using just your eyes. It's really a vast cloud in space where new stars are forming. Learn more.

Double Cluster in Perseus on October evenings

The Double Cluster in Perseus is a breathtaking pair of star clusters, easy to see in October. Here's how to find it in your sky.

See Messier 20, the Trifid Nebula

If you have an extremely dark sky, you can see the Trifid Nebula on as a fuzzy patch in the Milky Way. Binoculars show more and a telescope even more detail.

M6 and M7 in the Scorpion’s Tail

M6 and M7 are star clusters near Scorpius’ stinger. But you’ll need a dark sky to see these faint but stunning stellar aggregations.

What are Messier objects?

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

Meet M13, the Great Cluster in Hercules

Many stargazers call it the finest globular cluster in the northern half of the heavens. It's M13, also known as the Great Cluster in Hercules.

The Local Group is our galactic neighborhood

What is the Local Group? It's a collection of the nearest galaxies in space. Read more about these neighbors to our home Milky Way galaxy.

The Magellanic Clouds, our galactic neighbors

The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are two of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way. They can be seen without optical aid from southern skies.