Although telescopes afford us incredible glimpses at objects too far and much too faint to see under normal circumstances, even the naked eye can catch a range of interesting phenomena going on right above our heads. Many events, it seems, are difficult to identify for casual gazers.

Todd Bran never cared to have an imagination as active as his younger sister, Susie. But when mysterious crimes begin occurring in his family’s cornfields every Friday night, he suddenly comes face to face with a series of events that defy everything he knows.

Where I live in Virginia, the sun, moon, and planets actually coast through the sky to the south most of the year here, traveling along a line called the ecliptic. It’s this phenomenon which keeps the sun low during the winter…and it also plays a big part in our seasons!

There’s really nothing as magical as sitting for an hour or two under the night sky during a meteor shower. But out of all the meteor showers to spawn every year, none are perhaps as brilliant and active as the Perseid meteor shower…

Everywhere we look, we see our home world throwing in all the correct ingredients to facilitate innumerable types of life across its surface. But just how special is the Earth compared to the rest of outer space? Could there be another Earth somewhere out there? And if there isn’t, do any planets come close?

Despite being the closest planet to our own, we know far less about Venus than our other neighbor, Mars. With NASA’s recent announcement of the DAVINCI+ probe and VERITAS orbiter, we might finally begin to understand the nuances of the Venusian landscape in a better light.

Introducing Alpha Centauri, easily one of the most famous and recognizable star systems. But how far is Alpha Centauri, exactly? What makes it so special?

The Moon was not social distancing! What is a Supermoon, and how is it different from a regular moon? What is a Pink Moon?

The International Space Station is an enormous product of ingenious partnership and scientific design. But can you see the International Space Station from Earth? And when can you see it?

Wondering how to find the North Star? Where is the North Star in the night sky, anyway? Part of the reason the North Star can be so tricky to find is because it’s not as bright as most people imagine…