Skywatching

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

Latest

The predawn sky in April 2022 brings a dance of morning planets as Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn are all visible before sunrise.

April's sky brings dance of 4 morning planets: See Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn.

By Joe Rao published

As the planets rise in April we're given stunning views, if you know where to look.

The fireball created by the dead Russian satellite Kosmos-2551 re-entering Earth’s atmosphere on Oct. 20, 2021, captured by Brian Stalsonburg from Comstock Park, Michigan.

Loud meteor explosion shakes Indiana with surprise boom

By Josh Dinner published

On Wednesday, March 30, residents in Bloomington, Indiana, and surrounding counties were literally shaken to attention by the sound of an exploding meteor.

An aurora shines above west central Saskatchewan, Canada in this image taken March 30, 2022 by photographer Jenny Hagan.

Stunning northern lights from intense solar storms thrill stargazers (photos)

By Elizabeth Howell published

A series of solar storms aimed at Earth this week have supercharged the Earth's auroras, creating dazzling displays for skywatchers.

This colorized image captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory space telescope shows a powerful solar flare blasting from the sun on March 31, 2022.

The sun let out another flare and the photos are stunning

By Tereza Pultarova published

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured yet another solar flare blasting from the same overactive sunspot that triggered radio blackouts and stunning aurora displays on Earth earlier this week.

Man under night sky with milky way

5 ways to save on a skywatching trip and enjoy the night sky

By Kat Bayly published

Skywatching can get expensive, so here are five ways to save on a skywatching trip.

Auroras are usually visibly above polar regions but during intense geomagnetic storms the spectacle intensifies and can be visible from farther afield.

Sunspot outbursts likely to trigger more radio blackouts and auroras in coming days

By Tereza Pultarova published

The sun is waking up and we are experiencing the effects on Earth as disruptive radio blackouts and stunning aurora displays.

The sun produced an X-class flare on March 30, 2022; this data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the extreme ultraviolet light of the flare in yellow.

A hyperactive sunspot just hurled a huge X-class solar flare into space

By Elizabeth Howell published

The X-class flare caused a shortwave radio blackout, and it's possible we'll see auroras in the coming days.

Leica binoculars deals

These UK binocular deals at Wex can save you hundreds

By Alexander Cox published

Wex have models from Celstron, Vortex and Leica for a discount with savings ranging from £30 to £295

One of 17 different flares from an active sunspot AR 2975 shines bright in this image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory taken on March 28-29, 2022.

Sun erupts with 17 flares from single sunspot, sending solar storms toward Earth

By Elizabeth Howell published

An overactive sunspot erupted with 17 different flares since Monday (March 28) and could amp up Earth's auroras.

Milky way appearing over barn

Best locations for astrophotography and skywatching 2022

By Tantse Walter published

Highlights of the best locations for astrophotography and skywatching worldwide including practical information to make your stargazing trip a success.

Camera deals: Image shows person pointing camera forwards

Camera deals: Discounts on models from Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm and others

By Ian Evenden published

Deals These are all the best camera deals, with excellent discounts from the likes of Nikon, Canon, Sony and more.

Deals
An artist's depiction of an asteroid passing near Earth.

A small asteroid's orbit is changed forever after super close Earth flyby

By Tereza Pultarova published

A Hungarian astronomer nearly discovered a second space rock on a collision course with Earth in less than one month.

Astrophotographer Sebastian Voltmer captured this photo of spacewalking astronaut Matthias Maurer on March 23, 2022. Voltmer used a telescope to take the image from the ground — from Maurer’s home tome of Sankt Wendel, Germany.

Wow! Astrophotographer spots spacewalking astronauts from the ground (photo)

By Mike Wall published

Sebastian Voltmer captured a photo of NASA astronaut Raja Chair and the European Space Agency's Matthias Maurer performing a spacewalk on March 23. And he took it from Maurer's hometown.

This NASA diagram shows the location of Venus, Mars, Saturn and the crescent moon in the predawn sky on March 27 and March 28, 2022.

Venus, Mars and Saturn form a celestial triangle before dawn: How to see it

By Elizabeth Howell published

You can spot them Sunday and Monday, before sunrise.

Orion and Canis Major shine in the night sky. There are four celestial dogs hidden in the constellations of the spring night sky.

The mighty dog constellations of the spring night sky

By Joe Rao published

Four dog constellations are now visible in the night sky, if you know where to look

Best lenses for astrophotography: Image shows camera pointing at sunset

Best lenses for astrophotography

By Stuart Cornell published

We’ve found the best lenses for astrophotography, so you can concentrate on snapping the best astro photos

Woman with tripod while travelling at sunset

Best travel tripods of 2022

By Jacob Little published

Buying guide The best travel tripods can be a worthwhile addition for photographers on the move. Here’s our rundown of some of the best on the market.

Buying guide
Buying a telescope is an investment that opens up the night sky. Here's when to look for the right one for you.

The best time to buy a telescope: Shop smart and save

By Tom Kerss published

Get the best price for your new telescope by shopping smart with these handy tips and discover the best time to buy a telescope

Astrophotographer Chris Schur captured this stunning photo of Comet Leonard on Dec. 4, 2021 from Payson, Arizona using a 10-inch Newtonian telescope and 60-minute camera exposure.

Comet Leonard has broken into pieces as it rounds the sun: report

By Elizabeth Howell published

Comet Leonard, the brightest comet of 2021 has disintegrated, according to EarthSky.

Best cameras for astrophotography: Image shows Milky Way behind durdle door in Dorset

Best cameras for astrophotography 2022

By Jason Parnell-Brookes published

Snap incredible photos of the solar system and beyond using one of the best cameras for astrophotography.