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!

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?

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…

Our solar system is home to a marvelous variety of eight planets, from the habitable living conditions of Earth to the dazzling rings of Saturn. But we’re not the only star system with colorful and unique planets.

The Great Conjunction of 2020 received widespread attention this year. With the phenomenon occurring on the winter solstice, only days before Christmas, many people have put two and two together, dubbing it the “Christmas Star.” But did the wisemen really follow a conjunction between these two planets? Or was something else in the heavens directing them?

It’s well-known that objects in space are perpetually set in motion. But there are also some occurrences where objects will move together in sync like a choreographed dance. In other words, they create orbital resonance with one another.

Why does the sun turn red when it sets… or rises? What creates those gorgeous pastels of color in the heavens? It all comes down to the natural process of atmospheric scattering—and in the sun’s case, the distance between you and space. Sound weird? Let me explain.

Today it is understood that gravity is the invisible force that holds things together: it keeps us planted on the ground and rotating with the Earth at 700 miles per hour. Gravity keeps the moon from falling out of the sky. But how does it hold planets and stars together? And how can six stars orbit each other?

Star distances are mind-boggling, but how can we even begin to calculate such spans in space? How do we know the distances of anything off-world, for that matter?