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Pleiades over Jupiter in twilight, April 5, 2024

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 29 – April 7

What? You say you're bored? The evening sky is moonless, the two Dog Stars align vertically, the Big Dipper dumps into the Little Dipper, and the Springs of the Gazelle cross the zenith.

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

An Early End for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory?

NASA budget constraints could wind down operations of the iconic Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

Total Solar Eclipse Australia 2023

Celestial News & Events

Apps to Help You See the Solar Eclipse

For the April 8th eclipse, mobile apps offer everything from weather forecasts to local circumstances. Here's a review of eclipse apps that you might find useful on the big day.

Little Rock, AR April 8 all-sky view

Explore the Night with Bob King

What Will We See in the Sky During Totality?

Most of our time will be focused on Sun during the minutes of totality on April 8th, but consider tearing yourself away for a few seconds to put it all in context.

orange ring of light with swirling lines

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle

Strong Magnetic Fields Swirl Near Milky Way’s Black Hole

Astronomers have detected twisted, orderly magnetic fields near the event horizon of Sagittarius A*.

Celestial News & Events

Partial: The Solar Eclipse for the Rest of Us

Whether the Sun will become a dented ball or an eerie crescent of fire, a celestial shadow show awaits you anywhere in North and Central America.

Milky Way

Rethinking the Milky Way’s “Galactic Fountain”

The Milky Way recycles gas from dying stars to make new ones — but new observations show pristine gas also comes in from outside our galaxy.

Air-Spec, the first iteration of the instument now called ACES

Solar System

Chasing the Eclipse from the Air

A solar-imaging instrument will fly on a high-altitude aircraft to explore infrared emission from the Sun’s corona.

Jupiter and Mercury in evening twilight, late March 2024

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 22 – 31

The full Moon will go through a penumbral eclipse. Comet Pons-Brooks nears its best showing in early evening. And as Mercury fades in the sunset, Jupiter becomes the only easy planet in the entire sky.

Solar System

Could We See a Solar Eruption on Eclipse Day?

Ejections of solar material are increasingly commonplace as the Sun’s activity ramps up. Here’s what to expect if an eruption occurs on eclipse day.

Spiral galaxy NGC 5468

Cosmology

Webb Telescope Measures Universe’s Expansion

Astronomers have used the Webb telescope to observe Cepheid variable stars, ruling out one source of the prevailing "Hubble tension.”

Map of ancient volcano on Mars

Solar System

Giant Ancient Volcano Discovered on Mars

Scientists have identified a colossal volcano on Mars using satellite imagery. It was undetected for decades due to extensive erosion.

Moon crossing Gemini, March 17-19, 2024

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 15 – 24

Mercury emerges in the sunset, far lower right of brighter Jupiter. And don't just arc to Arcturus and speed to Spica — continue the curve to Corvus, cruise to Capella, and more.

Boy looks up through eclipse glasses, smiling

Astronomy & Observing News

Activities for Kids Before and During the Solar Eclipse

The solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, is the perfect opportunity to get people of all ages interested in the wonder of eclipses through art and science. Here are some activities that anyone with even a passing interest can get involved in

Solar System

Webb Telescope Reveals Worlds in the Farthest Reaches of the Solar System

James Webb Space Telescope data on distant worlds confirm some solar system formation hypotheses and confuse others.

Total eclipse with Venus nearby

Astronomy & Observing News

What Will the Weather Be on the Day of the Total Solar Eclipse?

Eclipse weather expert Jay Anderson shares the long-range outlook for eclipse day as well as instructions on how to look at weather forecasts closer to April 8th.

Betelgeuse close-up

Explore the Night with Bob King

Is Betelgeuse Fading Again?

Betelgeuse has dipped nearly half a magnitude since late January. Could it be headed for another Great Dimming Event? We also take a look at this spring's "other" eclipse.

Phobos over Mars

Solar System

Icy Impactor Might Explain the Formation of Mars’s Moons

In a new study, scientists suggest an impact with a giant icy object could explain the formation of Mars's moons, Phobos and Deimos.

Diamond Ring

Celestial Objects to Observe

How to See the Diamond Ring Effect During a Total Solar Eclipse

Here's how to safely see the "diamond ring," the dazzling burst of sunlight seen just before and after totality.

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 8 – 17

The Moon sidles up to bold Jupiter, then the delicate Pleiades, then the Castor and Pollux twins. Arcturus, ascending in the east, is probably the third-brightest star you've ever seen and that's including the Sun.

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