Skywatching

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

Latest

An image showing the night sky on Aug. 17 including Uranus in close visual proximity to the moon.

See the moon hop over Uranus in the night sky on Aug. 18

By Samantha Mathewson published

Watch the moon as it appears to "hop" over Uranus in the afternoon sky tomorrow (Aug. 18).

meteor in background with tree in front

The κ-Cygnid meteor shower reaches its peak on Aug. 18. Here's what to expect.

By Elizabeth Howell published

The κ-Cygnid meteor shower will reach its maximum on Aug. 18 with a projected peak of three meteors per hour. Luckily, the moon will be in quarter phase for a good show.

The planet Saturn seen through a telescope

Saturn is at opposition. See it shine at its best for 2022 in a free webcast tonight.

By Tariq Malik published

The ringed planet Saturn is often hailed as the jewel of the solar system and you have a chance to see why in a free webcast tonight.

Someone hoding a camera pointing towards a sunlit forest

Should you buy a DSLR camera?

By Kimberley Lane published

With mirrorless cameras rapidly gaining popularity, is it still worth investing in a DSLR camera?

Perseid meteors streak over a striking landscape in China with a person holding a flashlight

Perseid meteor shower of 2022 thrills stargazers despite bright moon (photos)

By Tariq Malik published

Stargazers around the world captured some dazzling views of the Perseid meteor shower as it peaked overnight Friday and Saturday (Aug. 12-13)

Camera in box with styrofoam packing

Best time to buy a camera: shop smart and save

By Kimberley Lane published

Are you thinking of buying a camera? Here are some tips and tricks to help you save money on your next purchase.

software map of mars in august 14, 2022 sky

Mars enters the evening sky tonight, here's how to find the Red Planet

By Elizabeth Howell published

Look for Mars low on the eastern horizon Saturday (Aug. 13) as the Red Planet comes into the evening sky, shining with Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus.

jupiter with the shadow of a moon on its atmosphere

Moon and Jupiter get together late Sunday night

By Joe Rao published

Check out the king of the planets meeting up with the moon on Aug. 14, throughout most of the night.

moon rising behind building

Sturgeon supermoon of 2022 stuns viewers around the world (photos)

By Elizabeth Howell published

The last of four supermoons in a row rose Aug. 11, 2022 and generated gorgeous pictures.

A Perseid meteor viewed from roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) outside of Las Vegas in 2021.

Perseid meteor shower peaking now, but bright moon will get in the way

By Samantha Mathewson published

The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak overnight on Aug. 12 and 13, unfortunately coinciding with this month’s full Sturgeon Moon.

Geminid meteor shower occurring above a large lake surrounded by hills. The shooting stars streak across a star-studded sky.

Meteor showers and shooting stars: Formation and history

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Reference Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through a trail of dust from asteroids or comets, the dust burns up in Earth's atmosphere resulting in shooting stars.

Reference
comet streaking in sky

Bright fireball over Madrid traced back to comet of origin

By Robert Lea published

A meteor that erupted in a fireball at the end of July has been traced back to the debris of a comet that formed 4.6 billion years ago.

large full moon rises up behind a hill.

The last supermoon of the year rises tonight: Watch it online for free

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Watch the last supermoon of the year rise over Rome with the Virtual Telescope Project's free livestream, which starts on Aug. 12 at 1:30 a.m. ET.

The Nikon Z fc in the sun

Nikon Z fc camera review

By Jacob Little published

Review The Nikon Z fc combines throwback styling with modern mirrorless camera technology in a neat APS-C package that we rate highly.

Review
Large orange full moon in the sky above a row of houses, its reflection is seen in the water below.

Supermoon alert: The last supermoon of the year rises tonight!

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

August's full moon will occur tonight (Aug. 11) and is the last supermoon of the year. The dazzling Sturgeon supermoon will outshine many Perseid meteors.

The night sky light phenomenon called STEVE lights up a sky filled with stars over a lake.

'STEVE' descends on North America after surprise solar storm

By Brandon Specktor published

A surprise solar storm bashed Earth on Aug. 7 and 8, triggering an appearance of the mysterious glowing phenomenon called STEVE.

Best mirrorless cameras

Best mirrorless cameras

By Jason Parnell-Brookes published

We've scoped out the best mirrorless cameras available to purchase in 2022 to cover any budget and skill level.

The Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ set up outside

Celestron Powerseeker 127 EQ review

By Russ Swan published

Review The flagship of Celestron's entry-level telescope range, the Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ's five-inch aperture and equatorial mount make it tempting to beginner astronomers.

Review
A close-up of Saturn and its rings.

Saturn at opposition: See the Lord of the Rings at its best this month

By Joe Rao published

On Sunday night (August 14th), Saturn arrives at opposition, when it lies on the opposite side of the sky from the sun.

Celestron Advanced VX 8 EdgeHD Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope

Save £400 on the Celestron Advanced VX 8 Edge HD telescope

By Alexander Cox published

Deal This Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope is the complete night sky-viewing package and you can now save £400 on it.

Deal