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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This NASA sky map shows the locations of the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and Mars after sunset on Dec. 25, 2022.

See the moon and 4 planets align as Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury and Venus offer a rare night sky treat this week!

By Tariq Malik published

The Christmas moon lines up with four bright planets in a celestial holiday treat this week.

An illustration of the night sky on Dec. 24 showing Mercury high in the sky.

See Mercury shine brightly in the sky this Christmas

By Robert Lea published

Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, will shine brightly in the sky on Christmas Eve as it reaches its highest altitude in the evening sky.

The Northern Lights over the frozen Lake Superior in Michigan, in 2006.

Solar storm could make auroras visible from northern Maine or Michigan tonight

By Elizabeth Howell published

A slight bump in activity on the sun might make auroras shine as far south as Maine or Michigan, but that's only if observers can get around a massive winter storm in the region.

An illustration of the night sky on Dec. 25, 2022.

The Christmas night sky 2022: The planets pay a holiday visit

By Joe Rao published

Your guide to the stars, constellations and planets that will decorate the Christmas night sky in 2022.

An illustration of the completely dark new moon against a backdrop of the moon during its lunar cycle.

Watch the final new moon of 2022 rise on Friday (Dec. 23)

By Robert Lea published

The final new moon of 2022 is upon us, signaling the beginning of the lunar cycle that will lead into 2023.

Image shows the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ and it's tripod set up on the grass

The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is 30% off and arrives before new year

By Alexander Cox published

deals If you're looking to bag a bargain before the year is out, then saving almost $70 on the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ could be what you're looking for.

deals
sundogs appear as two bright pillars of light on either side of the shining sun in the winter sky.

What are sundogs and how do they form?

By Robert Lea published

Reference Optical illusions that can be seen flanking the sun, sundogs are a beautiful and fascinating sight. When is the best time to see them and how did they get their canine-inspired name?

Reference
Graphic showing three people riding camels under a starlit sky with one very bright star.

What was the Star of Bethlehem?

By Jonathan O'Callaghan last updated

Reference The Star of Bethlehem led the three wise men to Jesus' birth, according to the New Testament. But what was the Star of Bethlehem? There are several theories.

Reference
Santa Claus sits ready for flight in front of an F-16 at Buckley Air Force Base.

Santa Claus is coming to town! Here's how to track him this Christmas Eve with NORAD

By Brett Tingley published

Santa Claus is coming to town, and you can track his progress worldwide this Christmas with NORAD's Santa Tracker website.

The Pentagon, home to the U.S. Department of Defense, is being flooded with UFO reports.

US military reports 'several hundred' UFO sightings in 2022, Pentagon officials claim

By Brandon Specktor published

UFO reports from U.S. military personnel are flooding the government's new All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).

Low-Cost Telescope Hero Image

Why a low-cost telescope is perfect this holiday season 2023

By Jamie Carter published

Skywatching Five bright planets visible in the evening during Christmas week and beyond make an affordable telescope a well-timed gift.

Skywatching
An illustration of the night sky on Dec. 22 showing the Ursid meteor shower originating from the constellation Ursa Minor.

The Ursid meteor shower, last 'shooting stars' of 2022, peaks tonight

By Stefanie Waldek published

The Ursid meteor shower peaks tonight (Dec. 22 into the morning of Dec. 23), offering the last shooting stars of the year.

A composite image of several space gifts for the holiday season

15 gift ideas for every stargazer this holiday season 2023

By Jamie Carter published

Buying Guide The best space gifts for budding astronomers ahead of the holidays: Observing the night sky demands some out-of-this-world gear, but it doesn’t have to come at astronomical prices.

Buying Guide
Draconid meteors streak across the night sky. The Milky Way can also be seen stretching across the star-studded sky.

Draconid meteor shower 2023: When, where & how to see it

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference The Draconid meteor shower peaks around Oct. 8 and Oct. 9. Here we explore what the Draconids are, where they are found and how you can see them.

Reference
Dec21b-2022 at Local Noon - Northern Winter Solstice

Winter solstice 2022 brings the longest night of the year to Northern Hemisphere

By Stefanie Waldek published

The winter solstice is today (Dec. 21), marking the official start of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day of the year.

A meteor streaks across the night sky over the Lhasa River on December 14, 2022 in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Ursid meteor shower shines with ideal dark sky conditions this year

By Joe Rao published

The moon will be at new moon phase on Dec. 23 when the Ursid meteor shower reaches its peak, meaning it won't provide any hindrance at all for meteor watching.

Fujifilm X-T5 in-hand with author

Fujifilm X-T5 review

By Lauren Scott published

Review The Fujifilm X-T5 is by no means an astrophotography specialist, but it does perform well in low light and is a great all-rounder.

Review
Perseid meteor shower where meteors streak through the star-studded sky above wooden alpine cabins. The band of the Milky Way stretches across the sky in the center of the image.

Perseid meteor shower 2023: When, where & how to see it

By Sarah Lewin, Chelsea Gohd, Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference The Perseid meteor shower will peak between Aug. 11 and 12. Here we explore what the Perseids are, where they occur and how you can see them for yourself.

Reference
A fireball with unexpected features as seen by the Global Fireball Observatory camera at Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Alberta.

Scientists trace fireball to strange rocky meteoroid from the edge of the solar system

By Robert Lea published

A rocky meteoroid that exploded over Canada last year was more extraordinary than it first seemed: it originated from the outer solar system, where scientists thought only icy bodies exist.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying two SES O3b mPower satellites launches into the sunset sky

SpaceX rocket launch at sunset wows some stargazers with ethereal 'space jellyfish' (photos)

By Tariq Malik published

When SpaceX launch two satellites into orbit Friday evening from Florida, it lit up the night sky with more than just its fiery engines.