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.
Last transit of Mercury until 2032
Mercury will pass directly in front of the sun on November 11, 2019. During the Mercury transit, the planet will appear as a black dot crossing the sun's face. Click here to learn who will see it, how to watch, and transit times.
November 10, 2019
North Taurid meteors to peak in moonlight
Slow-moving North Taurids don't exhibit a sharp peak, so meteor rates may remain fairly steady for the next several days. Too bad about the moon!
November 9, 2019
Red Mars and blue-white Spica pair up in morning sky
Watch for them in the east before sunup on the mornings November 8, 9 and 10, 2019. Cool color contrast, and, yay ... Mars is back!
November 7, 2019
Moon, Saturn, Jupiter in early November
At nightfall and early evening - November 1 and 2, 2019 - the waxing crescent moon shines in the vicinity of the planet Saturn, and the dazzling planet Jupiter sits below the moon and Saturn, fairly close to the horizon.
November 1, 2019
Moon goes by Jupiter on Halloween
On October 30 and 31, 2019, watch for 2 brilliant luminaries - the crescent moon and dazzling planet Jupiter - to pop out near one another as dusk gives way to nightfall.
October 30, 2019
Go young moon hunting in late October
To maximize your chances of catching the young moon on October 28, find an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset. Binoculars will come in handy! On October 29-31, the moon will be easier to see, from all parts of the globe.
October 28, 2019
Uranus closest to Earth on October 27
The planet Uranus, 7th planet outward from the sun, comes closest to Earth for the year on October 27, 2019. It reaches opposition - when it's most directly opposite the sun as viewed from Earth - on October 28.
October 27, 2019
Watch for false dawn or dusk
Watch for this eerie light about 2 hours before sunrise in the Northern Hemisphere. From the Southern Hemisphere, watch for it after sunset.
October 26, 2019
Will you see all 5 bright planets?
For the ultimate challenge, try finding all 5 bright planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - in the late October 2019 night sky.
October 25, 2019
See moon, Leo, and Mars before daybreak
Get up before dawn to see the moon and the starry figure of Leo the Lion in the eastern sky. Then, as darkness gives way to dawn, use the lit side of the waning lunar crescent to find the planet Mars near the sunrise horizon.
October 22, 2019
