Skywatching

Learn about skywatching, astronomy, star gazing, and comets in the night sky at space.com. View astrophotography and images of celestial bodies.

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venus in the night sky above a rock in the ocean

See bright Venus climb to its highest point in the night sky tonight

By Robert Lea published

Venus is quite bright as it climbs high in the night sky on Monday (May 8) during its current period of evening appearances.

Person with telescope looking at moon and planets in night sky

When, where and how to see the planets in the 2023 night sky

By Joe Rao last updated

Reference This guide will tell you the best times to see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in 2023, and clue you in about planetary meetups, conjunctions and more.

Reference
a dark shadow lies across the top of the moon

See 1st lunar eclipse of 2023 darken the full Flower Moon in eerie photos

By Brett Tingley published

The full Flower Moon of May 2023 was darkened by a penumbral lunar eclipse that was visible to most of the Eastern Hemisphere.

Image being edited in Affinity Photo 2

Affinity Photo 2 Review 2023

By Kimberley Lane published

Review Affinity Photo 2 has a dedicated astrophotography stacking feature, non-destructive RAW compatibility and is available to purchase without shelling out monthly.

Review
a green meteor above a lake

Eta Aquarid meteor shower 2023 peaking now! See pieces of Halley's Comet in the night sky

By Robert Lea published

The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks on Saturday (May 6) offering skywatchers the chance to see debris from Halley's Comet burn up in Earth's atmosphere.

Vortex binoculars 10x50 Crossfire HD

Vortex binoculars deals and discounts

By Ian Evenden last updated

Here's our round-up of the best Vortex binoculars deals on the market, with top models from reputable retailers.

How to photograph a lunar eclipse: A Super Wolf Blood Moon in Wildwood, Florida

How to photograph a lunar eclipse 2023

By Jo Plumridge last updated

Discover how to photograph a lunar eclipse for perfect images every time with our in-depth guide on how to set up and shoot.

a lunar eclipse above a tropical bay

What time is the lunar eclipse on May 5?

By Joe Rao last updated

A penumbral lunar eclipse will take place at 11:13 a.m. EDT (1513 GMT) on Friday (May 5) and will peak at 1:24 p.m. EDT (1724 GMT).

Orion StarBlast 6i IntelliScope telescope

Orion telescopes and binocular deals 2023: Save big on Orion optics

By Gemma Lavender last updated

Deals Discover all the best Orion telescope and binoculars deals currently on the market with discounts from reputable retailers.

Deals
A photograph of a partial lunar eclipse on Nov. 19, 2021.

How to watch the Flower Moon lunar eclipse today in a free livestream

By Brett Tingley last updated

Watch live as a lunar eclipse joins the full Flower Moon on Friday (May 5) thanks to a free telescope livestream from the Virtual Telescope project.

the full moon behind neon lights in the shape of flowers

May's Full Flower Moon rises tonight after a lunar eclipse

By Robert Lea published

May's full Flower Moon rises tonight (May 5) following a lunar eclipse that will be visible only to the Eastern Hemisphere.

The Milky Way stretches across the sky and a bright Eta Aquarid meteor streaks across the center. Below is the top of Mount Bromo surrounded by clouds.

Eta Aquarid meteor shower 2024: Where, when and how to see it

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference The Eta Aquarid meteor shower from late April to mid-May offers a long stretch of spectacular "shooting stars" that even a casual observer can spot in the night sky.

Reference
Man using one of the best telescopes for seeing planets set against a night sky

Best telescopes for seeing planets in 2023

By Tom Kerss last updated

Buying Guide Use the best telescopes for seeing planets to observe Venus, Mars, Jupiter and its red spot, Saturn and its rings, and beyond with these high-quality scopes.

Buying Guide
Jason Parnell-Brookes using one of the best binoculars for stargazing and birding at the top of a green grassy hill

Best binoculars 2023: Top picks for stargazing, wildlife, birding and more

By Jase Parnell-Brookes last updated

Buying Guide Use the best binoculars in 2023 to observe the stars, birding, wildlife safari, sports, aviation and more, we've tested and reviewed them so you don't have to.

Buying Guide
The moon is seen during a penumbral lunar eclipse in Skopje, North Macedonia on May 16, 2022.

A lunar eclipse is coming on May 5. Here's what you need to know

By Robert Lea published

The moon will darken but not completely disappear as it slips into Earth's outer shadow on Friday (May 5), creating a penumbral lunar eclipse.

the moon blocks out most of the sun during a solar eclipse

I watched the moon 'take a bite of the sun' in a rare hybrid solar eclipse last week. Here's what I saw from Australia.

By Jamie Carter published

From my viewpoint in the Exmouth Gulf of Western Australia, the solar eclipse's totality brought a colossal corona and a dramatic drifting diamond ring.

Large fully illuminated moon with large craters against a black background.

Full moon names for 2023 (and how they came to be)

By Joe Rao last updated

REFERENCE Space.com's guide to the common full moon names, dates and times for 2023.

REFERENCE
the full moon is visible behind cherry blossoms

May full moon 2023: The Flower Moon gets eclipsed

By Jesse Emspak last updated

Reference May's full Flower Moon will be accompanied by a penumbral lunar eclipse visible from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the western Pacific Islands.

Reference
Mercury's comet-like tail streaks across the sky in this image captured April 12, 2023 by astrophotographer Sebastian Voltmer.

See Mercury's giant, comet-like tail in stunning new image as it passes close to the sun

By Harry Baker published

Shortly after Mercury reached its closest point to the sun, its massive, comet-like tail became unusually visible in the night sky and was captured in a stunning new photo.

Artist's illustration of NASA's RHESSI sun-studying spacecraft.

NASA satellite crash not source of mysterious flash of light above Ukraine capital, agency claims

By Ben Turner published

A blinding flash of light set off air raid alerts across Ukraine’s capital city. Officials at first thought it was a falling NASA satellite, but the space agency has said it isn’t.