Experience the awe-inspiring beauty of a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 , a date worth marking on your calendar. Better yet, consider planning a vacation around this celestial phenomenon. For optimal viewing conditions, our recommendation is to head to the Southwest, where the likelihood of clear skies is high. If you live in

Quick Reference Sunspot: A cooler patch on the Sun’s surface (8,000 F vs 11,000 F nearby). Looks dark only by contrast. Solar flare: A sudden geyser of hot gas from the Sun’s surface. More energy and faster than a coronal mass ejection. Cycle: 11 years from minimum to maximum to minimum again. Discovered by Schwabe

Newly discovered comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is on its way into the inner solar system and already grabbing headlines as the next possible “Daytime Comet.” Early estimates say it may outshine the brightest stars in the sky and become visible to the naked eye during daylight hours for a brief time in October 2024. Here

Catch a glimpse of a rare sky event on Monday, March 27, 2023. Use binoculars and look west approximately 20 minutes after sunset to see five planets, the Moon, and a beautiful star cluster known as Messier 35 (M35). Celestial objects will appear in the following order from left to right: M35, Mars, the Moon,

Update: The Green Comet (c/2022 e3 ZTF) otherwise known as Comet ZTF is currently traveling away from Earth and out of our solar system, never to return again. Your last (and best) chance to catch a glimpse will be on February 10. The full Moon will interfere until that time. (See below.) Learn more about

In case you missed the Parade of Planets with the Moon in June 2022, here is a beautiful record of the event. This photo was taken on June 24, 2022 at 4:35 am: Thank you to Scott Readman and all of our readers who shared photos of this spectacular celestial event on Facebook (and Instagram).

Wondering about the dates of this year's solar and lunar eclipses? We have them, plus folklore, superstitions, and more!

If the days start getting shorter after the solstice, why does the latest sunset happen almost a week later? We explain.

Native Americans had their own names and legends for the stars to teach lessons and explain the world around them. Read about them here.

Not necessarily a Christmas Star, but more of a “Holiday Ornament” will appear exactly three weeks before Christmas 2024. On the evening of December 4, just after sunset, look low in the southwest sky to see Venus hovering above a slender crescent Moon. Read on to learn about Christmas stars from previous years, especially a rare event in