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Radiant point of meteor showers: All you need to know
Meteors enter Earth's atmosphere on parallel paths. So, you'll see meteors appear to come from a single point in the sky: the radiant point!
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.
January 1, 2026
Why is there no eclipse every full and new moon?
If the moon orbited Earth on the same plane that Earth circles the sun, we'd have an eclipse at every full and new moon. Here's why we don't.
January 1, 2026
Sun activity archive for January 2026
Sun activity archive for January 2026. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
January 1, 2026
Greatest elongation, superior and inferior conjunction
When Mercury and Venus are as far from the sun as they get from our earthly point of view, they are at greatest elongation. It is the best time to observe them.
January 1, 2026
The moon illusion makes the moon look huge!
When you see a large-looking moon low in the sky, does the moon look bigger to you? That's the moon illusion that makes the moon look so big.
January 1, 2026
What is stellar magnitude?
The brightest stars to the eye are 1st magnitude, and dimmest stars to the eye are 6th magnitude. How does stellar magnitude work in astronomy?
January 1, 2026
Deep-sky objects: Small telescope and binocular targets
Deep-sky objects - including bright and dark nebulae, star clusters and distant galaxies - are favorite targets for amateur stargazers.
January 1, 2026
What is a last quarter moon?
The last quarter moon appears a week after full moon and a week before new moon. The moon appears half-lit, like half a pie.
January 1, 2026
At aphelion: Does the size of sun look smaller?
Earth's farthest point - aphelion - in orbit around the sun is around July 6. The eye can't detect it, but a camera shows the sun appears at its smallest then.
January 1, 2026
