2027 Eta Aquariid meteor shower best before dawn on May 5

May's Eta Aquariid meteor shower is best in 2027 on the morning of May 5. Be sure to watch in the hours before dawn. In 2027, you'll have dark skies.

Could aliens visit Earth? Here are some challenges

Scientists say it’s unlikely aliens visit Earth anytime soon, because interstellar travel faces huge barriers of distance, energy and time.

BOOM over Massachusetts and U.S. East probably a meteor

Many reported a streak across the daytime sky and a boom over Massachusetts and surrounding areas in the US East, probably a meteor.

Can a single season have only 2 full moons?

We know it's possible to squeeze 4 full moons into a single season. But can a season have just 2 full moons? Turns out it can, but it is rare.

Deneb is an incredibly distant star. But how do we know?

The star Deneb - part of the Summer Triangle - is one of the most distant stars you can see with your eye alone. But why don't we know its distance precisely?

How cities can change the weather during storms

Researchers looked at 22 years of data to discover how cities can change the weather. Certain storms intensify over cities, leading to more urban flooding.

What is a micromoon? The last one for 2026 is in June

What is a micromoon? It's a full or new moon near its farthest from Earth for the month. Depending on your definition, 2026 has either 2 or 3 full micromoons.

Arcturus, brightest star of the northern sky

Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern half of the sky. It's easy to find in spring in the Northern Hemisphere near the handle of the Big Dipper.

The 1919 solar eclipse that proved Einstein right

During a May 29, 1919, solar eclipse, astronomers saw the sun bend starlight, proving Einstein's general relativity and catapulting him to rock star fame.

Strange sonic boom rattles South Carolina

People in South Carolina heard a strange sonic boom on May 28, 2026, around 5:30 p.m. The USGS said it wasn't an earthquake. Could it have been a meteor?