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Observing guides and astronomy stories to help you enjoy the night sky more deeply — from this month’s sky to naked-eye tips and the science hidden in starlight.
- Sky This Month2026-07-01
The Night Sky in July 2026 — the Summer Triangle and the Milky Way
On July nights the Summer Triangle climbs high overhead while the Milky Way streams along the southern horizon. Here is your guide to the must-see sights in this month's sky.
Read → - Observing Guide2026-06-20
Stargazing with the Naked Eye — 7 Tips for Beginners
No telescope needed. With a dark sky and a few simple tricks, your naked eyes alone can reveal hundreds of stars and the Milky Way. Here are seven tips for beginners.
Read → - Astronomy Basics2026-06-10
How to Read a Star's Brightness and Color — the Story of Magnitude and Starlight
Why is one star brighter than another, and why do some look red or blue? Here we unravel the meaning of "brightness (magnitude)" and "color" — fun things to know when you look up at the stars.
Read → - Astronomy Basics2026-05-28
The Story of Supernovae — a Star's Glorious End and the Origin of Our Bodies
A supernova is a colossal explosion in which a single star can outshine an entire galaxy. Discover how the glorious death of a massive star scatters the elements that go on to build new stars, new planets, and even our own bodies.
Read → - Astronomy History2026-05-15
Galileo Galilei — the First to Turn a Telescope on the Heavens
Mountains on the Moon, moons around Jupiter, the phases of Venus — with what he saw through his telescope, Galileo shook the age-old belief that "the Earth is the center of the universe." This is the story of the man who opened the door to modern science.
Read → - Astronomy Basics2026-05-02
The Story of the Telescope — from a Single Lens to Space Observatories
From the world's first telescope to Kepler's refractor, Newton's reflector, and on to Hubble and James Webb lofted into space. Let's follow, with diagrams, the path humankind has walked to see the universe ever farther and ever deeper.
Read → - Astronomy Basics2026-04-20
How We Measure the Distance to Stars and the Moon — Parallax and Triangulation
How did people ever work out the distances to the Moon and the stars, which no ruler could ever reach? From the principle of "parallax" you can check with a single finger, to the annual parallax used to measure the distance to stars and the equation behind it — explained here with diagrams.
Read → - Astronomy Basics2026-04-08
The Story of Eclipses — the Days the Sun and Moon Hide
The Sun vanishing at midday, a full Moon staining blood-red — these are among the sky's most mysterious events. Why do solar and lunar eclipses happen, and why not every month? Let's follow the geometry of the shadows cast by the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
Read → - Astronomy Basics2026-03-25
The Color and Temperature of Stars — Starlight Is a Thermometer
Some stars are red, others blue. A star's color is not mere appearance but an accurate thermometer that tells its surface temperature. This is the story of color and temperature, and of the spectral types used to classify the stars.
Read → - Astronomy Basics2026-03-10
The Story of Black Holes — Stephen Hawking and the Star That Swallows Light
A black hole is an abyss of the cosmos from which not even light can escape. What makes a black hole, and how did we confirm they exist? This is that story — including how Stephen Hawking revealed that "even black holes shine."
Read → - Astronomy Basics2026-02-25
The Universe in Numbers — Astronomical Units and Key Figures
Just how far are a light-year and an astronomical unit (AU)? Here we gather in one place the sizes, masses, speeds, and temperatures of the Earth, Sun, Moon, and our Milky Way — the reference numbers for talking about the cosmos.
Read → - Observing Guide2026-02-10
A Guide to the Spring Constellations — Following the Great Curve into a Sea of Galaxies
Starting from the Big Dipper, follow the Spring Curve and the Spring Triangle and Leo, Boötes, and Virgo unfold in turn. Here is your guide to the quiet spring sky that opens up once winter's brilliance withdraws — and to the sea of galaxies beyond it.
Read → - Observing Guide2026-02-12
A Guide to the Summer Constellations — Nights When the Milky Way Flows
From the Summer Triangle overhead to Scorpius and Sagittarius on the southern horizon, summer is the season when the Milky Way streams across the sky. Here is your journey through the summer sky — finding the stars of the Herdsman and the Weaver Girl and gazing into the heart of our galaxy.
Read → - Observing Guide2026-02-14
A Guide to the Autumn Constellations — The Great Square and the Tale of Andromeda
Using the Great Square of Pegasus as your landmark, star-hop all the way to the Andromeda Galaxy, the most distant object visible to the naked eye. This is a journey through the autumn sky, where Cassiopeia and Perseus meet the myth of a royal family hung together among the stars.
Read → - Observing Guide2026-02-16
A Guide to the Winter Constellations — Orion and the Jewels of the Night Sky
At the heart of the most brilliant sky of the year — winter — stands Orion. Using Orion as your reference, trace the Winter Triangle and the Winter Hexagon, and enjoy the Orion Nebula and the Pleiades with the naked eye on this journey through the winter sky.
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