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Astronomy Essentials
See the year’s fastest sunsets and sunrises around equinoxes
The year's fastest sunsets and sunrises happen around the equinoxes, and the slowest sunsets and sunrises happen around the solstices.
September 17, 2026
Astronomy Essentials
Equinox fun: Track the sun’s shift now until the solstice
On this equinox, start tracking the sunset point on your western horizon. You'll see a mighty shift between now and the June solstice.
September 17, 2026
Astronomy Essentials
2026 September equinox: All you need to know
The September equinox is almost here! Autumn for the Northern Hemisphere. Spring for the Southern Hemisphere. Here's all you need to know.
September 17, 2026
Earth
Wildfires near the South Pole burned 90 million years ago
Researchers have found evidence in a sediment core in Antarctica that wildfires near the South Pole were a regular occurrence some 90 million years ago.
September 16, 2026
Space
The rings of Chariklo are unexpectedly dynamic and changing
New observations by the James Webb Space Telescope show that the rings of Chariklo, a Centaur in the outer solar system, changed over a period of a few years.
September 16, 2026
Sun
Sun news: The sun is about to run out of sunspots
Sun news September 17, 2026: Only one sunspot remains, and it's about to leave. Will tomorrow bring the first spotless sun since February 24? Stay tuned!
September 16, 2026
Astronomy Essentials
Tonight
Visible planets and night sky guide for September
Visible planets and night sky guide: Join today's livestream at noon CDT (17 UTC) and find out about the upcoming September equinox.
September 16, 2026
Astronomy Essentials
Why is planet Venus so bright in Earth’s sky?
You can't miss dazzling Venus after sunset! It's the 3rd brightest object in the sky, after the sun and moon. But why is Venus so bright?
September 16, 2026
Space
JUICE mission to fly by Earth in late September
The JUICE mission will perform a flyby of Earth in late September 2026. The spacecraft is headed toward Jupiter's icy moons, where it will arrive in 2031.
September 16, 2026
Space
Did Venus have a moon for nearly 2 billion years?
Venus had a moon a long time ago, scientists in the US and France say. It likely survived for nearly 2 billion years until Venus' gravity tore it apart.
September 15, 2026
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