Felton Davis stands near his telescope, ready to show passersby the transit of Mercury, which occurred May 9, 2016. Credit: Felton Davis Key Takeaways: Felton Davis has conducted public astronomy viewings in New York City since 2012, utilizing a personal telescope to provide passersby with close-up observations of celestial bodies. His “East Village star parties” […]
Felton Davis: The Sidewalk Astronomer of Second Avenue Read More »
The very dark skies characterize the largest star of the United States, the Grand Canyon Star Party, which attracts about 1,000 people per night for more than a week. Credit: GCSP Takeaway Keyway: Years ago, three big stars have dominated plans for astronomy enthusiasts in the United States. They were Stellafane, Riverside and the Texas
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Kerberos sports a double struggle form, which suggests that two separate objects gathered to form the moon. Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI Takeaway Keyway: On June 28, 2011, Pluto’s Moon Kerberos was discovered by a team that uses the Hubble space telescope, led by the senior researcher Mark Showalter. While the main objective of the observation program was
June 28, 2011: Kerberos is discovered Read More »
Venus will appear as a bright morning star close to the ‘Seven Sisters’ of the Pleiades open cluster. (Image credit: Alan Dyer/VW Pics/UIG via Getty Images) Early risers are in for a celestial treat on July 5, when Venus appears as a bright ‘morning star’ alongside the magnificent Pleiades open star cluster in the eastern
Don’t miss the Pleiades shine with Venus in the predawn sky on July 5 Read More »
The total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, will offer some fabulous travel options. Here are some adventures to consider. (Image credit: Background images via Getty left to right Smartshots International, Ashley Cooper, imageBROKER/Harry Laub and Carlos Fernandez. Graphic made in Canva by Daisy Dobrijevic.) Jump to: 1. Astrophotography and an eclipse chase 2. Totality
10 fun tours and adventures for the ultimate total solar eclipse 2026 experience Read More »
NASA’s retired space shuttle Discovery on display in the McDonnell Space Hangar at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. (Image credit: collectSPACE.com) On July 4, 2006, NASA’s space shuttle Discovery launched on a “return to flight” mission that paved the way for it and its sister ships to fly for
The Montes Jura mountain range can be seen reflecting the sun’s light to form a ‘Golden Handle’. (Image credit: Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Saturday night presents a perfect opportunity to spot a “Golden Handle” shining brightly on the moon’s surface. It is a fleeting sight that appears when sunlight catches the
A ‘Golden Handle’ will appear on the moon tonight. Here’s how to see it Read More »
(Image credit: ELT: ESO / Imagen ALMA: Clem & Adri Bacri-Normier (wingsforscience.com) / Montaje: David Fernández – ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO).) A rare snowfall in the driest place on Earth has halted operations of one of the world’s premier telescope arrays, and climate change may mean the observatory will face more extreme weather events like this in
The Beehive Cluster (M44) is a large, bright open cluster of stars that lies near the ecliptic, so it’s often visited by planets. This week, Mercury skims near this group of young suns. Credit: Jan Gajdos (Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Key Takeaways: Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, June
The Sky This Week from June 27 to July 4: Mercury buzzes the Beehive Read More »
A portion of the official cover for “Fantastic Four: The Coming of Galactus” (Image credit: Marvel) There are moments in comic books’ illustrious past that act as seismic shifts for the industry, and Marvel Comics’ “Fantastic Four #48” and its “The Coming of Galactus” story arc in 1965 was one of these rare occasions. Global