The Rhythm of the Spheres

Reading the Night Sky

Wandering in Astronomy

The night sky is the oldest pattern of man, and every culture reads it differently. The stars above keep silent time, moving to a rhythm we are just now beginning to understand. Astronomy is where math, science, art, music, and words meet in a wondrous collision. In this section of our site, learn the basics of astronomy: from how a star chart is made, to projections and art that map the night sky, to how an astrolabe works just like it did thousands of years ago. Watch the North Star shift across centuries, explore how one sky has been mapped by many traditions, read what happened on this day in space, and see tonight’s moon for your location.

Map the Stars

The math behind star charts, with a projection explorer and a working astrolabe.

The Moving Sky

How the sky shifts across centuries, with a precession clock you can run.

The Traditions

One sky reads many ways, with a same-sky overlay of the world’s constellations.

This Day in the Stars

The sky’s events, discoveries, and lore tied to today’s date.

The Moon Tonight

Its phase and face, drawn live for where you’re standing.

✦  Astronomy Picture of the Day  ✦

Galaxy Cove Vista

May 7, 2013
© Rogelio Bernal Andreo (Deep Sky Colors)
To see a vista like this takes patience, hiking, and a camera. Patience was needed in searching out just the right place and waiting for just the right time. A short hike was needed to reach this rugged perch above a secluded cove in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in California, USA. And a camera was needed for the long exposure required to bring out the faint light from stars and nebulae in the background Milky Way galaxy. Moonlight and a brief artificial flash illuminated the hidden beach and inlet behind nearby trees in the above composite image taken about two weeks ago. Usually obscured McWay Falls is visible just below the image center, while the Pacific Ocean is in view to its right.

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✦  EarthSky  ·  Astronomy.com  ·  Phys.org  ✦
Astronomy Aug 31, 2026

JWST reveals likely Type II supernova from when universe was only 2 billion years old

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified one of the most distant exploding stars ever confirmed. The supernova, SN 2023aeaf, was found at a redshift of 3.195—so far away t…

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Human Spaceflight Aug 31, 2026

Why do astronauts get constipated?

Try and try and try as they may, scientists have yet to explain one of spaceflight’s most painfully enduring mysteries: Why do astronauts get constipated? After examining blood samples from 52 as…

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Today in the History of Astronomy Aug 31, 2026

Aug. 31, 1913: Birth of Bernard Lovell

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Earth Aug 31, 2026

Giant trees break a decades-old science theory

Giant trees have evolved remarkable adaptations that allow them to reach extreme heights while maintaining efficient water transport.

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Astronomy Aug 31, 2026

JWST may solve a 20-year mystery behind a rule-breaking gamma-ray burst

Astronomers may have finally solved the mystery behind a nearly two-decade-old cosmic explosion that seemed to break the rules of physics. The energy output of a powerful gamma-ray burst, GRB 06120…

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Earth Aug 31, 2026

Lake Powell hits record low, continues to drop

Lake Powell has hit its lowest level ever. Despite the monsoons, like the flash floods that hit Grand Canyon over the weekend, water levels continue to drop.

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Sun Aug 31, 2026

Sun news: Fast coronal hole winds now easing

Sun news August 31, 2026: A coronal hole's wind disturbed our magnetic field before fading. Meanwhile, a big filament erupted in the northeast.

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Observing Aug 31, 2026

The Sky Today on Monday, August 31: Venus and Spica gather close

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  August 30: The Moon, Neptune, and Saturn In the evening sky, blazing Venus is less than 2° southwest of …

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Astronomy Aug 31, 2026

The SKA project: A model for dialogue between historical astronomical archives, local memory and modern science

Humans have been observing the sky for thousands of years. Our ancestors were undoubtedly fascinated by it, but observing the heavens also had practical uses: It helped people measure time, both ov…

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