The amazing image of the black hole in the center of the giant galaxy M87 has been hard to miss over the past week. The image is a stunning achievement of astronomical inquiry, technology and persistence. M87 is the largest and second brightest galaxy in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. As ...

The great astronomers, professional and amateur, can be quite specific about when, how and what event ignited their interest in the night sky. It would have been the same moment that also piqued their inspiration for science, and for a life of imagining, dreaming and acting on their dreams. ...

Though Mercury is sinking rapidly in the evening sky, Mars will linger through July as Earth slowly leaves it on the far side of the sun. Another planet currently in the evening sky is Uranus. It can be seen without optical aid, but it’s best to find it in binoculars, then look at the ...

Mercury is an elusive planet. Though it is visible in the evening sky about three times each year, many people never get a glimpse at this world because they don’t know when to look for it. This month gives us all a chance to spot it just as the evenings darken. The diagram shows the west ...

The southern sky visible in the early evening affords us a view out of the plane of our own Milky Way galaxy toward the south galactic pole as shown in Figure 1. There are fewer stars in this region of the sky where the watery constellations of Cetus the sea monster and Eridanus. Cetus is on ...

After crossing between Earth and the sun on Oct. 26, 2018 it rose into the pre-dawn skies and has been a bright beacon for all who get a view of the eastern sky before sunrise. Jupiter was on far side of the sun on Nov. 25, 2018, and Mercury was between Earth and the sun on Nov. 27. These ...