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Clear winter skies offer exhilarating sights for stargazers, from auroras to the Milky Way; the right gear makes viewing them cozy and comfortable.
astronomy

A Holiday Gift Guide for Winter Stargazing and More

From telescopes to fun and functional hats, we've got ideas for every astro-enthusiast in your life this giving season.
Rebecca Boyle November 29, 2023
Mercury, an "empty little rock," appears as a small black dot as it crosses in front of the Sun.
astronomy

Mercury Retrograde Is Ending, and It’s Up to You How to Feel About It

The first planet from the Sun doesn't influence your love life or your luck, but it can help foster a cosmic connection.
Rebecca Boyle September 13, 2023
Saturn at its closest point to Earth in 2019.
astronomy

Saturn at Opposition Is an Unforgettable Stargazing Experience

The ringed planet will be at its closest point to Earth, and opposite the sun, this weekend.
Rebecca Boyle August 23, 2023
The Globe, also known as the Avicii Arena, inspired the Sweden Solar System.
maps

There’s an Entire Solar System Hiding In Sweden

Get ready for the most peculiar road trip that will help you understand the vastness and emptiness of the solar system—and Sweden.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think July 14, 2023
A solitary tree flanked by Venus and Mars on the left, the Moon on the right.
astronomy

How to See Venus and Mars in the Summer Sky

Our nearest planetary neighbors can help you map your place in the solar system.
Rebecca Boyle June 7, 2023
AGU Building with the planet display beginning on the corner of Florida Ave & 20th St.
Washington, D.C.

American Geophysical Union Sidewalk Planet Display

A brass and marble scale model of the solar system embedded in the concrete.
Flagstaff, Arizona

Pluto Discovery Telescope

A planet-hunting astrograph built in the 1920s to seek out the so-called "Planet X" beyond Uranus.
Dark dust devil trails crisscross frigid dunes and gullies in the southern highlands of Mars.
science

Massive Dust Devils Leave Their Mark Across Eerie Dunes

Often associated with Earth’s hottest places, these whirling columns show up on all seven continents—and beyond.
Gemma Tarlach November 5, 2021
Scientists lofted balloons in summer 2019 to detect aftershocks of an earthquake in Ridgecrest, California.
space exploration

It Turns Out You Can Detect an Earthquake From a Balloon

Now scientists want to try the same trick on Venus.
Robin George Andrews June 25, 2021
Flagstaff, Arizona

Lowell Mausoleum

The final resting place of the businessman-turned-astronomer who helped discover Pluto stands near his observatory.
Turin, Italy

ROCC Mars Yard

Europe's simulation of the Martian surface uses soil from Mount Vesuvius.
A mockup of the ExoMars rover rolls off its landing platform at the Rover Operational Control Centre near Turin, Italy. The facility is designed to simulate what conditions will be like on Mars when the actual rover, named Rosalind Franklin, arrives in 2022.
science

Europe's New Mars Yard Is Like a Playground for Planetary Engineers

Thanks, in part, to 150 tons of soil belched out by Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago.
A. J. Oliveira July 8, 2020
Göttingen, Germany

Planetenweg Göttingen

A 1:2 billion-scale solar system leads visitors into this German university town.
There's plenty to see, even when you're not on a perfectly dark mountain.
how to

How to Find the Best Stuff in the Night Sky From Absolutely Anywhere

A beginner's guide to admiring stars, planets, and satellites—no mountaintop or fancy gear required.
Jessica Leigh Hester June 21, 2019
This panorama, captured in January 2017, looks out at higher reaches of Mount Sharp.
space exploration

Why Does This Picture From Mars Look Like a Riverbed on Earth?

A familiar sight, millions of miles away.
Jessica Leigh Hester March 29, 2019
nazis

What Does This Alien Minor Planet Look Like?

A peanut? Or maybe a bowling pin?
Jessica Leigh Hester January 3, 2019
Constellations were printed on the inside of the snug case.
objects of intrigue

The Tiny Globe That Puts the World and Heavens in Your Palm

Elizabeth Cushee’s elegant 1745 orb was boundary-pushing at the time.
Jessica Leigh Hester December 3, 2018
Munich, Germany

Fraunhofer Refractor at the Deutsches Museum

The telescope that discovered Neptune.