Quick Reference: April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Date: Monday, April 8, 2024. Path width: 115 miles, from Mazatlan, Mexico through 15 US states to eastern Canada. Maximum totality: 4 minutes 28 seconds near Torreon, Mexico. People in path: 31 million Americans plus tens of millions more who traveled. Next US total eclipse: August 23,

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

Quick Reference: Daytime Comets Definition: a comet bright enough to be seen during the day, brighter than magnitude -3. Frequency: 1-2 per century, on average. Most recent: Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1), January 2007. Brightest in history: the Great Comet of 1882 (estimated magnitude -17). Where they come from: usually long-period sungrazers, surviving very close perihelion

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,

Quick Reference: The Green Comet Famous example: C/2022 E3 (ZTF), visible January-February 2023. Why green: diatomic carbon (C2) in the comet’s coma fluoresces green under sunlight. Other green comets: any comet rich in C2, including some recurring short-period comets. Where to look: low northeastern sky after dark when one is active. Brightness: the 2023 green

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.

Quick Reference: The Christmas Star (Great Conjunction) Event: Jupiter and Saturn appearing very close together in the sky (a great conjunction). Famous example: December 21, 2020. Closest pairing in 397 years. Frequency: Jupiter and Saturn align about every 20 years, but most pairings are not nearly as close. Next near-equivalent: March 15, 2080. How to