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January birthstone: The colorful garnet

Garnets, the beautiful January birthstone, are often thought to be red gemstones. But they also come in yellow, green, orange, brown and black.

Editors of EarthSky

January 4, 2026

What’s a Blood Moon? All you need to know

By this definition, Blood Moon is a member of a special kind of lunar tetrad : four total lunar eclipses in a row. Now it's used for any total lunar eclipse.

Bruce McClure

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2026

Solar Eclipse: Top 5 tips for photographing an eclipse

Are you hoping to get some great pics of the April 8 total solar eclipse? Here are 5 tips from NASA to help you capture some memories of this precious event.

EarthSky Voices

January 1, 2026

Dwarf planet Ceres discovered 225 years ago today

Dwarf planet Ceres was discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi on January 1, 1801. That was 225 years ago. It was 1st considered an asteroid.

Editors of EarthSky

January 1, 2026

How to know your eclipse glasses are safe

Unscrupulous companies are printing ISO certification labels on fake eclipse glasses. Check here for reputable vendors from the American Astronomical Society.

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2026

Why does the New Year begin on January 1?

Why does the New Year begin on January 1? The tradition stems from the festival of Janus, the Roman god of past and future.

Editors of EarthSky

December 31, 2025

Apollo 8 Earthrise photo Christmas Eve 1968

Astronaut William Anders took this iconic photo of Earthrise on the 4th orbit of the moon aboard Apollo 8 on December 24, 1968.

Deborah Byrd

Kelly Kizer Whitt

December 24, 2025

What was the Christmas star? Science and mystery

What was the Christmas star? Some scientific explanations attempt to explain the Star of Bethlehem, including a planetary conjunction, comet or supernova.

Larry Sessions

Deborah Byrd

December 21, 2025