
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.
Bright Perseids from Sweden
Growing Gallery: Solar Eclipse of 2026 August 12

Customized Star Charts Coming 1st Quarter 2027
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Dust-shrouded Milky Way star cluster may be nearly as old as the universe
Astronomers have determined that VVV CL001, a metal-poor globular cluster near the center of the Milky Way, is about 13.4 billion years old, making it one of the oldest known star clusters in our gโฆ
ReadVisible planets and night sky guide for November
Visible planets and night sky guide. Tomorrow morning, the moon will hang close to Mars, Jupiter and Regulus. And watch for Taurid meteors!
ReadSun news November 2: The word of the day is โplageโ
Sun news November 2, 2026: Word of the day is plage! Learn to spot the sunโs bright magnetic patches, which glow long after sunspots fade away.
ReadThe Sky Today on Monday, November 2: The Moon passes Jupiter and Mars
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. November 1: The Moon in Cancer The Moon slides 1.1ยฐ south of Mars at 9 A.M. EST, then passes 0.5ยฐ southโฆ
ReadHeavy hydrogen in 3I/ATLAS's methane points to a frigid birthplace
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS carries a chemical clue to conditions in the planetary system of its origin, locked away long before it reached our sun. Its methane signature is unusually rich in hโฆ
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ReadThe Sky Today on Sunday, November 1: The Moon in Cancer
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ReadNovember 2026: Whatโs in the sky this month?
Saturn is already visible as darkness falls; some challenging transits of its moons occur this month. Neptune is a binocular object close to Saturn, while Uranus is an easy target in Taurus. A Fullโฆ
ReadFiguring out where cosmic neutrinos come from is trickyโradio telescopes could help find 'ghost particles' origin
Neutrinos are funny little particles that weigh almost nothing, making them one of the universe's most elusive building blocks. They can come from objects as mundane as bananas and as exotic as supโฆ
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