Sign Up for Our Amazing Newsletter!
A daily update by email. Science news, great photos, sky alerts.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
The Northern Cross: Find the backbone of the Milky Way
The Northern Cross is an asterism - or recognizable pattern of stars - within the constellation Cygnus the Swan. Here's how to find it in your sky.
July 9, 2025
Summer Triangle: Star pattern of the season
On June and July evenings, you’ll find the Summer Triangle in the east at nightfall. It swings high overhead after midnight and sits in the west at daybreak.
June 24, 2025
The Big and Little Dipper: How to find them in the spring
How to find the Big and Little Dipper in the nighttime sky. From the Northern Hemisphere the Big Dipper is high in the sky on spring evenings.
March 30, 2025
Spring Triangle in the east at night, heralding the season
As the Northern Hemisphere enters spring, look for the Spring Triangle rising in the east, made up of bright stars from 3 prominent constellations.
March 26, 2025
Meet the Winter Circle, aka the Winter Hexagon
The brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere's winter sky form the shape of the Winter Circle, or Hexagon, that will help you locate 6 constellations.
January 16, 2025
The Hyades star cluster: The Face of Taurus the Bull
From January to April, look for the Hyades star cluster in the evening sky. It's beautiful through binoculars. And in 2025, bright Jupiter will be nearby, too!
January 6, 2025
The Pleiades – or 7 Sisters – known around the world
The Pleiades star cluster - aka the Seven Sisters or M45 - is visible from almost every part of the globe. It looks like a tiny misty dipper of stars.
November 14, 2024
Great Square of Pegasus gallops into the autumn sky
The Great Square of Pegasus consists of 4 stars of nearly equal brightness in a large square pattern. It's a great jumping-off point for star-hopping.
September 10, 2024
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.
August 23, 2024
Coathanger cluster: This star pattern looks like its name
The Coathanger cluster resembles its namesake and is easy to spot with binoculars, using the star Albireo - part of the Summer Triangle - to find it.
July 9, 2024
