Article
Total solar eclipse: phases and safe viewing
A total solar eclipse unfolds in phases: the Moon partially covers the Sun, flashes appear along its edge, and, within the path of totality, it c...
Editorial archive
Observation
32 results
Article
Rubin and the Legacy Surveys offer two new views of the sky
Vera C. Rubin Observatory released its first LSST Camera image for science on 31 July 2026. On 10 August, NOIRLab announced an update to the DESI...
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Naked eye, binoculars or telescope: how to observe the sky
You do not need special equipment to start observing the sky. NASA explains what can be seen with the naked eye, what binoculars can do, and what...
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How to watch a meteor shower: scan the whole sky, not just the radiant
Meteor showers seem to originate from a particular region of the sky, but their meteors can cross any area. NASA guides offer advice on where to...
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A guide to observing exoplanets: what to explore and how to take part
A practical guide to finding your way around NASA’s exoplanet resources: how to use the catalog, what light observations can reveal and how to co...
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Umbra, penumbra and apparent size: why solar eclipses look different
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and casts a shadow on our planet. But the experience changes depending on w...
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Eclipses and lunar nodes: why they don’t happen every month
The Moon reaches its new and full phases every month, but those phases alone are not enough to produce an eclipse. The lunar orbit is tilted by a...
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From image to 3D map: how DESI turns galaxies into cosmic distances
A sky map made from images locates objects in two dimensions. The DESI instrument uses that catalog to select galaxies and quasars and observe th...
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FCC authorizes a Reflect Orbital test satellite: what it could mean for observing the sky
On 9 July, ESO reported that the FCC had authorized Reflect Orbital to deploy a demonstration satellite. The decision does not itself approve the...
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The sky today: a cautious guide to incomplete data
A NASA reference mentions a total solar eclipse from Greenland on August 14, 2026. ESA, meanwhile, displays orbital data for the International Sp...
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The 2026 sky: eclipses, Perseids and encounters to watch
A cautious guide to skywatching in 2026: what NASA sources say about June and August, how location affects visibility, and which details are stil...
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The sky today: what we know—and what we cannot confirm
A responsible guide to the sky begins by distinguishing astronomical events from spaceflight news—and by acknowledging when the date needed to ch...
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The sky today: a 2026 eclipse and a snapshot of the space station
A NASA page lists a total solar eclipse from Greenland for August 14, 2026. The European Space Agency, meanwhile, provides coordinates and speed...
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The 2026 sky: equinoxes and observing dates
A careful guide to the 2026 astronomical calendar: the dates NASA provides, the events it flags for August, and the information still needed to p...
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The 2026 sky: eclipses, the Perseids and more reasons to look up
A cautious guide to some of the celestial events highlighted for 2026: what is known, and what still needs checking before planning an observatio...
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The 2026 sky: eclipses, the Perseids and planetary pairings
A guide to the sky events NASA flags for May, June and August 2026—and to the limits of the information published.
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The 2026 sky: eclipses, the Perseids and planetary encounters
There will be two solar and two lunar eclipses in 2026. August brings the Perseids, an apparent Moon-Venus encounter and other highlights; none i...
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The 2026 sky: eclipses, meteors and encounters to watch
NASA highlights a meteor shower, a comet, a Moon–Venus pairing, eclipses and the June solstice for 2026. Here is what the available information s...