Sky & Telescope

Why We Look Up: Cosmic Mayflies The stars may seem eternal, but they're not. Stargazing shows us that we're living our lives in a blink of universal time.

We live our lives in a blink of universal time.
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This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 6 – 15 Brilliant Jupiter highlights the Gemini stick-figure twins enveloping it. Down below, the Winter Triangle balances on its Sirius-point.

Pollux and Castor in Gemini, with their overpowering visitor Jupiter, pass nearly overhead in mid-evening this week if you live in the world's mid-northern latitudes. skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...

Rubin Observatory Sends 800,000 Alerts to Astronomers — Per Night The Vera Rubin Observatory is seeing 800,000 astronomical alerts per night — and that number will only increase.

The Vera Rubin Observatory is seeing 800,000 astronomical alerts per night — and that number will only increase.
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AI Reveals New Galaxies in James Webb Space Telescope Images Known as ASTERIS, the AI network removes noise from images to reveal features a full magnitude fainter than before.

Known as ASTERIS, the AI network removes noise from images to reveal features a full magnitude fainter than before.
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March Podcast: The Winter Triangle This month’s episode showcases the stars and planets visible on March evenings. First up: March 3rd’s predawn a total lunar eclipse! Then track down three planets after sunset, and savor the easy-to-s...

This month's episode of our Sky Tour astronomy podcast is out now! This episode showcases the stars and planets visible on March evenings. First up: March 3rd’s predawn a total lunar eclipse! Then track down three planets after sunset.
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SpaceX Aims to Launch 1 Million AI Data Center Satellites The satellites could ruin dark skies, pollute the atmosphere, and increase space debris — and the public has a limited time to comment.

Experts are concerned that the satellites could ruin dark skies, pollute the atmosphere, and worsen the space debris. The public has a limited time to comment.
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This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 27 – March 8 Jupiter forms a T with the Moon, Pollux, and Castor on Friday the 27th. Can you catch the total lunar eclipse on the morning of March 3rd?

While twilight is still bright this evening, watch for Venus to emerge very low in the west as shown below. Saturn, much fainter, comes into view somewhat later about a fist at arm's length above Venus and perhaps a bit left.
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Dawn Delight: Total Lunar Eclipse on March 3rd March opens with a spectacular total lunar eclipse. Our guide will help you make the most of it.

March opens with a spectacular total lunar eclipse. Our guide will help you make the most of it.
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Astronomers Witness Transformation of One of the Largest Stars One of the largest known stars — a red supergiant — suddenly shrank and heated up, transforming into a different kind of star.

One of the largest known stars — a red supergiant — suddenly shrank and heated up, transforming into a different kind of star.
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A Planetary System That Breaks the Rules The unexpected arrangement of exoplanets around a star more than 100 light-years from Earth might change how we think about planet formation.

An exoplanet system’s unexpected arrangement might change how we think about planet formation.
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AAS President Dara Norman and Past President Kelsey Johnson published an opinion article in SpaceNews today titled "The future of astronomy is both on Earth and in space." The article is signed by 15 past, current, and incoming AAS presidents.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 20 – March 1 Three naked-eye planets emerge in the afterglow of sunset. The first-quarter Moon passes as close to straight up as you may ever see it!

Three of the five naked-eye planets emerge in the fading afterglow of sunset. The first-quarter Moon Tuesday passes as close to straight up as you may ever see it. And can you try for Sirius B?
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Rocket Reentry Leaves Lithium in Earth's Upper Atmosphere Space debris are contaminating our atmosphere at very high altitudes – and we don't yet understand the effects.

Space debris are contaminating our atmosphere at very high altitudes – and we don't yet understand the effects.
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Europe's RAMSES Mission to Asteroid Apophis Moves Ahead The RAMSES mission to the asteroid Apophis will launch in 2028 to meet the asteroid before its close encounter with Earth.

The RAMSES mission to the asteroid Apophis will launch in 2028 to meet the asteroid before its close encounter with Earth.
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We Have Visitors: Interstellar Material from Nearby Debris Disks Traversing the galaxy from places yet known, a few interstellar objects have taken a quick dip into our solar system. Astronomers look to nearby planet-forming stellar systems as possible launching po...

Traversing the galaxy from places yet known, a few interstellar objects have taken a quick dip into our solar system. Astronomers look to nearby planet-forming stellar systems as possible launching posts.
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Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Bursts as "Ice Volcano" Erupts After a recent explosive outburst, Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is bright enough to see in a medium-sized telescope.

After a recent explosive outburst, Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is bright enough to see in a medium-sized telescope.
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Astronomers Discover Second Failed Supernova Candidate Astronomers might have spotted a star in the Andromeda Galaxy collapsing directly into a black hole, without the accompanying fanfare of a supernova.

Astronomers might have spotted a star in the Andromeda Galaxy collapsing directly into a black hole, without the accompanying fanfare of a supernova.
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Astronomers Find Hints of an Exomoon Astronomers might have found a moon half the mass of Jupiter orbiting in a nearby system, based on the wobbles of its host world.

Astronomers might have found a moon half the mass of Jupiter orbiting in a nearby system, based on the wobbles of its host world.
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Oldest Moon Rocks Found on the Lunar Farside The 4-billion-year-old Moon rocks brought back from the farside of the Moon challenge ideas about what it was like in the early solar system.

The 4-billion-year-old Moon rocks brought back from the farside of the Moon challenge ideas about what it was like in the early solar system.
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Infant Galaxy Clusters Grew Faster Than Expected Astronomers have discovered three still-growing galaxy clusters in the early universe that point to a faster track of evolution than expected.

Astronomers have discovered three still-growing galaxy clusters in the early universe that point to a faster track of evolution than expected.
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Watch the Young Moon Greet Mercury at Sunset On February 18th, the willowy crescent has a close shave with Mercury, so close that it occults the planet from some U.S. cities.

On February 18th, the willowy crescent Moon has a close shave with Mercury, so close that it occults the planet from some U.S. cities.
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This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 6 – 15 The Winter Hexagon holds the brightest winter stars. Near Orion, the Big Dog prances and the Hare crouches. Jupiter rides high.

The biggest well-known asterism in the sky is the Winter Hexagon. It fills the heavens toward the east and south these dark evenings.
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New Kreutz Comet C/2026 A1 May Dazzle A distant Kreutz comet heading our way may grow a glorious tail in April.

A distant Kreutz comet heading our way may grow a glorious tail in April.
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Chilean Observatories Saved from Industrial Megaproject The proposed installation — less than 10 miles from Paranal Observatory — sparked international concern. Now it’s canceled.

The proposed installation — less than 10 miles from Paranal Observatory — sparked international concern. Now it’s canceled.
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Hundreds of Bright Streaks Suggest Mercury’s Still Active An AI search through decades-old spacecraft images reveals that Mercury may still be alive and kicking, geologically speaking.

An AI search through decades-old spacecraft images reveals that Mercury may still be alive and kicking, geologically speaking.
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February Podcast: Winter’s Milky Way In this month’s episode, go on a guided tour of the stars and planets that you’ll see overhead during February. First we’ll keep tabs on the Moon; say good-bye to Saturn; trace out the Winter Milky Wa...

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This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 30 – February 8 The dazzling Moon occults Regulus Monday night while Regulus is announcing February. Betelgeuse turns the Winter Hexagon into the Heavenly G.

The gibbous Moon shines amidst Jupiter, Pollux, and Castor tonight. That's their order of brightness, fr0m brightest to faintest. Can you get a photo that shows all of them well, despite their vast brightness differences?
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The Ring Nebula Has an “Iron Bar” New observations reveal a strange structure in the iconic nebula that has evaded astronomers for centuries.

New observations reveal a strange structure in the iconic nebula that has evaded astronomers for centuries.
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The final release of data from the Dark Energy Survey widens tensions in our understanding of the cosmic evolution.
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Sculpted gases in the Helix Nebula, revealed in a new Webb Telescope image, look like the firework-like tendrils in a distant amateur-discovered supernova remnant — here’s why.
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