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, from how a star chart is made, to projections and art that maps the night sky, to how an astrolabe works the same way as it did thousands of years ago. Watch the North Star shift across centuries and explore how one sky has been mapped by many traditions. Check what happened on this day in space or see tonight’s moon drawn for where you stand.
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.
Barnards Loop over Twin Volcanoes
Customized Star Charts Coming 4th Quarter 2026
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.
Astronomers just found the first atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone
Astronomers have detected helium leaking from a rocky exoplanet, a sign that the planet may have an atmosphere. If confirmed, the finding represents the first such detection around an Earth-like wo…
ReadAn abandoned SpaceX rocket is about to crash into the Moon
In the early hours of Aug. 5 (UTC), an abandoned SpaceX rocket stage is expected to slam into the Moon at around 5,406 miles per hour (8,700 km/h). Launched in January 2025, the rocket sent two …
ReadWhere the night sky is the main event
Greater Zion preserves some of the darkest skies in America. The post Where the night sky is the main event appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
ReadWandering black hole spotted shredding a star
Astronomers have spotted a wandering black hole shredding a star. This supermassive black hole is not at the center of a galaxy ... It's roaming the outskirts.
ReadA rocket will hit the moon on August 5: New animation here!
A Falcon 9 rocket will hit the moon at 1:35 a.m. CDT on August 5, 2026. Who can see it? And what might you see? Answers here.
ReadVisible planets and night sky guide for July and August
EarthSky's visible planets and night sky guide. Find out about the glorious Milky Way, the meteor shower season, a total solar eclipse and more in this video.
ReadMeet the astronomer digging into the Milky Way's 'fossils'
Amina Helmi's passion for the Milky Way is clear as soon as one steps into her small office at the University of Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands.
ReadLittle red dots may mark temporary black hole phase
Since their discovery by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in 2022, little red dots (LRDs) have been the subject of great interest to astronomers. Understanding the nature of these extremely distan…
ReadESCAPADE's cameras capture Earth and moon
In November 2025, NASA's Mars-bound ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral with special cargo on board: two camera systems designed…
Read