Clear Dark Sky Forecast
AstroBackyard
- ToupTek StellaVita Review: Better Than Ever, But Not Perfect May 15, 2026The ToupTek StellaVita is a control box that can run an entire astrophotography setup from your phone or tablet. It supports a wide range of cameras and accessories, so you’re not locked into a single ecosystem, and that alone makes it one of the more interesting alternatives to systems like the ASIAIR. After... […]Trevor Jones
- Dark Sky Camping: RV Lighting Etiquette and Setup April 28, 2026Dark sky camping has become a big part of how we travel. Whether we’re heading to a remote site or setting up at a star party, the goal is always the same: get away from artificial light and experience the night sky the way it’s meant to be seen. What we’ve learned, though, is that... […]Ashley Northcotte
- Rediscover the Night Sky: 6 Things You’re Missing Because of Light Pollution April 13, 2026If you’ve ever stepped outside at night and looked up, it probably felt like you were seeing the night sky. A few bright stars, maybe a familiar constellation or two, and that’s it. For most people, that is the night sky they know, but it’s only a small fraction of what’s actually there. Over time,... […]Ashley Northcotte
NASA Solar System & Beyond
- NASA’s Psyche Mission Images Mars’ Huygens Crater May 19, 2026Description Captured by the multispectral imager instrument on NASA’s Psyche mission, this is an enhanced-color view of the large double-ring crater Huygens (upper right; about 290 miles, or 470 kilometers, in diameter) and the surrounding heavily cratered southern highlands near 15 degrees south latitude. The various colors in this dramatic scene are likely due to […]
- NASA’s Psyche Mission Spies Mars’ Wind-Blown Craters During Close Approach May 19, 2026Description This view of the Martian surface, captured by NASA’s Psyche spacecraft on May 15, 2026, shows streaks that have formed due to wind blowing over impact craters in the Syrtis Major region. The image scale is nearly 1,200 feet (360 meters) per pixel. The wind streaks extend to about 30 miles (50 kilometers) long, […]
- Psyche’s High-Resolution View of Mars’ South Pole May 19, 2026Description This is the highest-resolution view of the water ice-rich south polar cap of Mars captured by NASA’s Psyche mission after it made its close approach with the planet for a gravity assist. The image scale is around 0.7 miles per pixel (1.14 kilometers per pixel). The cap itself extends across more than 430 miles […]
Sky & Telescope
- SMILE: European Space Weather Mission Launches May 19, 2026An innovative new mission will probe the mystery of how the Earth’s magnetosphere interacts with the solar wind. The post SMILE: European Space Weather Mission Launches appeared first on Sky & Telescope.David Dickinson
- How Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede Melted Its Core May 19, 2026A new model explains how Ganymede got its molten core — which in turn has given Jupiter's largest moon its magnetic field. The post How Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede Melted Its Core appeared first on Sky & Telescope.Emily Lakdawalla
- What's Feeding Our Supermassive Black Hole? May 18, 2026Astronomers have identified the likely source of gas that flows into the maw of the Milky Way’s central black hole, Sagittarius A*. The post What's Feeding Our Supermassive Black Hole? appeared first on Sky & Telescope.Jan Hattenbach