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.

โœฆ  Astronomy Picture of the Day  โœฆ

Comet Lemmon over the High Tatras

October 22, 2025
Credit: Tomรกลก Slovinskรฝ & Constantine Themelis
See this entry on NASA's APOD โ†’
Comet Lemmon putting on a show for cameras around the globe. Passing nearest to the Earth this week, the photogenic comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is now extending two long tails : a blue ion tail and a white dust tail. The ion tail is pushed away from the Sun by the ever-present by ever-changing solar wind, and shows structure also created by how much gas is ejected at any one moment. It glows because it is ionized by high energy sunlight . The dust tail is pushed away from the comet by sunlight and shines by reflecting sunlight. The featured image is an enhanced composite of 50 exposures all taken two days ago from Mlynica , Slovakia . The mountains in the foreground are the High Tatras that partly separate Slovakia from Poland . Although Comet Lemmon is best visible in long camera exposures, the shedding ice ball has become faintly visible in northern skies even to unaided eyes through dark skies toward the west after sunset.

Customized Star Charts Coming 1st Quarter 2027

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

โœฆ  EarthSky  ยท  Astronomy.com  ยท  Phys.org  โœฆ
Astronomy Nov 9, 2026

The ELT can probe ultra-diffuse galaxies and their dark matter mysteries

We've been waiting a long time for the Extremely Large Telescope's first light, scheduled for March 2029. Telescopes this large, powerful and costly always have multiple science goals, and that's tโ€ฆ

Read
Astronomy Nov 9, 2026

A stellar odd couple at an unusual stage of evolution

Most of the stars in the Milky Way are what we might call normal stars. They're main sequence stars like our sun, meaning they're doing what most people probably think stars do: shining as they fusโ€ฆ

Read
Astronomy Nov 9, 2026

The supernova impostor: Chandra finds likely source of giant star's repeated outbursts

Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have discovered what is triggering repeated outbursts from a giant, unstable star.

Read
What's Launching This Week Nov 9, 2026

SpaceX goes for a Starship double catch

Rocket launches this week On Monday, Nov. 9, SpaceX is targeting 10:03 p.m. EST to launch USSF-627 on a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mโ€ฆ

Read
Features Nov 9, 2026

Our increasingly cluttered skies

In the 2013 movie Gravity, Russia destroys its own spy satellite with a missile, creating a cloud of shrapnel and subsequent orbital collisions that rip apart spaceships and astronauts alike. Earthโ€ฆ

Read
Robotic Spaceflight Nov 9, 2026

After LINK mission failure, Swift reenters atmosphere

Editorโ€™s note: This story was originally published Aug. 24, 2026. Swift reentered Earthโ€™s atmosphere Nov. 4, 2026, ending its nearly 22-year mission. See the most recent updates at the end of tโ€ฆ

Read
Earth Nov 9, 2026

The enormous oarfish could inspire new ways to explore the ocean

The giant oarfish has a remarkable fin that could inspire quieter underwater robots and open new possibilities for ocean exploration and conservation.

Read
Astronomy Essentials Nov 9, 2026

Visible planets and night sky guide for November

Visible planets and night sky guide: November is a great month for both planets and meteor showers! Here's how to see Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and the ongoing Taurids.

Read
Sun Nov 9, 2026

Sun news: Auroras continue! More tonight at northern U.S. latitudes?

Sun news November 9, 2026: Fast solar wind topped 800 km/s, keeping G1 storms going. AR4566 fired another M flare. Auroras possible tonight!

Read