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Sky & Telescope
@skyandtelescope.bsky.social
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The Essential Guide to Astronomy | We provide the world's leading compendium of information about the science and hobby of astronomy.
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Sky & Telescope @skyandtelescope.bsky.social · Dec 1
During December you can watch for some impressive shooting stars and spend some time with the “Demon Star,” which can’t decide how bright it wants to be. Bundle up, grab your curiosity, and head outdoors for this month’s fun and informative Sky Tour.
Read more: buff.ly/bv8vyWH
Sponsored by Celestron
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We greet the winter solstice. Jupiter nears opposition. Will the two Dog Stars balance for you? And meet the House in the Hyades.
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#astronomy #solstice #jupiter #hyades
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 19 – 28
We greet the winter solstice. Jupiter nears opposition. Will the two Dog Stars balance for you? And meet the House in the Hyades.
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December 19, 2025 at 4:53 PM
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There could be liquid water trapped under the southern polar cap of Mars. But new observations suggest otherwise.
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#astronomy #mars #water #martianwater
New Radar Data Chills Prospects of a Subglacial Lake on Mars
There could be liquid water trapped under the southern polar cap of Mars. But new observations suggest otherwise.
skyandtelescope.org
December 19, 2025 at 4:52 PM
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Where does the Sun end and the solar wind begin? Scientists have mapped the dynamic magnetic edge that bounds our star.
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#astronomy #sun #solarwind #star
Scientists Map the Sun’s Magnetic “Surface”
Where does the Sun end and the solar wind begin? Scientists have mapped the dynamic magnetic edge that bounds our star.
skyandtelescope.org
December 19, 2025 at 4:51 PM
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NASA is working to restore communications with its MAVEN Mars Orbiter mission.
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#astronomy #nasa #marsmission #marsorbiter #mars
Mars MAVEN Mission May Be Lost in Space
NASA is working to restore communications with its MAVEN orbiter Mars, which lost contact earlier this month.
skyandtelescope.org
December 19, 2025 at 4:50 PM
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The Red Spot transits about every 9 hours 56 minutes. But not quite like clockwork! It drifts east or west in Jupiter's atmosphere irregularly. A change often becomes detectable to visual transit timers over a span of some months.
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#astronomy #stargazing
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 12 – 21
Big Jupiter now rises in the east-southeast less than an hour after dark. It's high in sharp telescopic viewing by about 10 p.m.
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December 15, 2025 at 4:53 PM
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James Webb Space Telescope observations suggest the planet might have an atmosphere — but more data are needed to rule out a bare rock scenario.
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#astronomy #JWST #exoplanets #exoplanetatmosphere
Webb’s First Look at TRAPPIST-1e Hints at a Titan-like Atmosphere
James Webb Space Telescope observations suggest the planet might have an atmosphere — but more data are needed to rule out a bare rock.
skyandtelescope.org
December 15, 2025 at 4:51 PM
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Two winter stars left their mark long ago on wispy gas clouds near the solar system. Their passage might even have influenced life on Earth.
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#astronomy #stars #cosmology
Two Stars’ Swept by the Solar System 4.5 million Years Ago
Two winter stars left their mark long ago on wispy gas clouds near the solar system. Their passage might even have influenced life on Earth.
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December 15, 2025 at 4:51 PM
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Astronomers have discovered one of the largest structures in the universe — and the galaxies within it — spinning like a fairground teacup ride.
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#astronomy #galaxy #cosmology
Galaxies Spin on Vast Filament Like a Teacup Ride
Astronomers have discovered one of the largest structures in the universe — and the galaxies within it — spinning like a fairground teacup ride.
skyandtelescope.org
December 15, 2025 at 4:50 PM
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A new analysis of the Solar Orbiter’s unique views of the Sun’s poles shows how a “conveyor belt” moves within our nearest star.
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#astronomy #solarorbiter #sun
The Sun's Poles Are Different Than We Expected
A new analysis of the Solar Orbiter's unique views of the Sun's poles shows how a "conveyor belt" moves within our nearest star.
skyandtelescope.org
December 15, 2025 at 4:49 PM
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A gift idea for the stubborn winter stargazer on your holiday list (especially if it’s you)
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#astronomy #stargazing #winter
The Gift of Warmth (and Whimsy)
Here's an idea to provide warmth and whimsy to the stubborn winter stargazer on your holiday list (especially if it's you!)
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December 5, 2025 at 5:07 PM
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The Moon, waning away from full, groups up with Jupiter, Castor and Pollux on two nights. Later in the week the Geminid meteor shower comes into full bloom.
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#astronomy #stargazing #moon #lunargazing #moonwatch #jupiter #gemini
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 5 – 14
The Moon, waning away from full, groups up with Jupiter, Castor and Pollux. Later in the week, the Geminid meteors come into full bloom.
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December 5, 2025 at 3:12 PM
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A new analysis of the Solar Orbiter’s unique views of the Sun’s poles shows how a “conveyor belt” moves within our nearest star.
skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...
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#astronomy #solarorbiter #sun #solarobserving
The Sun's Poles Are Different Than We Expected
A new analysis of the Solar Orbiter's unique views of the Sun's poles shows how a "conveyor belt" moves within our nearest star.
skyandtelescope.org
December 5, 2025 at 3:11 PM
skyandtelescope.bsky.social
The groundbreaking mission designed to observe our Sun and its interactions with Earth celebrates three decades in space this week.
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#astronomy #sun #solartelescope #solarobserving
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Celebrates 30 Years in Space
The groundbreaking mission designed to observe our Sun and its interactions with Earth celebrates three decades in space this week.
skyandtelescope.org
December 5, 2025 at 3:10 PM
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Why is the gravitational-wave background — the hum made by supermassive black holes colliding across the universe — stronger than expected?
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#astronomy #gravitationalwaves #supermassiveblackhole #blackholecollision
Boosting the Gravitational Wave Background
Why is the gravitational-wave background — the hum made by supermassive black holes colliding across the universe — stronger than expected?
skyandtelescope.org
December 5, 2025 at 3:09 PM
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The microphone on NASA’s Perseverance rover unexpectedly heard tiny claps of thunder from sparks caused by colliding dust grains.
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#astronomy #mars
Tiny Sparks of Lightning Detected on Mars for the First Time
The microphone on NASA's Perseverance rover unexpectedly heard tiny claps of thunder from sparks caused by colliding dust grains.
skyandtelescope.org
December 5, 2025 at 3:07 PM
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A small space telescope may signal a big new trend for modern astronomy.
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#astronomy #spacemission #spacetelescope
First Private Space Telescope Launches Successfully
A small space telescope may signal a big new trend, as Blue Skies Space, the company that owns it, provides astronomical data for a price.
skyandtelescope.org
December 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
skyandtelescope.bsky.social
During December you can watch for some impressive shooting stars and spend some time with the “Demon Star,” which can’t decide how bright it wants to be. Bundle up, grab your curiosity, and head outdoors for this month’s fun and informative Sky Tour.
Read more: buff.ly/bv8vyWH
Sponsored by Celestron
December 1, 2025 at 4:28 PM
skyandtelescope.bsky.social
Saturn's rings are now the closest to edge on that they'll get. The famous interstellar comet has become higher and easier for amateur telescopes before dawn.
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#astronomy #stargazing #comet #interstellarcomet #saturn
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 21 – 30
Saturn's rings are now their closest to edge on. The interstellar comet has become higher and easier for amateur telescopes before dawn.
skyandtelescope.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:47 PM
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Now that Comet 3I/ATLAS has emerged from the Sun’s glare, its behavior is being monitored by every available observatory.
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#astronomy #comet #interstellarcomet
Updates on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: NASA Images, Many Tails, and Non-gravitational Forces
Now that Comet 3I/ATLAS has emerged from the Sun's glare, its behavior is being monitored by every available observatory.
skyandtelescope.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:46 PM
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The Pleiades star cluster is part of a much larger complex that stretches across the entire sky, a new study shows.
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#astronomy #pleiades #starcluster #cosmology
Meet the Seven Sisters’ 3,000 Lost Siblings
The Pleiades star cluster is part of a much larger complex that stretches across the entire sky, a new study shows.
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November 21, 2025 at 2:45 PM
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Watch an Oort Cloud comet disintegrate before your eyes. Meanwhile, interstellar intruder 3I/ATLAS is brighter than expected.
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#astronomy #comet #interstellarcomet #stargazing
Comet K1/ATLAS Crumbles, Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Delights
Watch an Oort Cloud comet disintegrate before your eyes. Meanwhile, interstellar intruder 3I/ATLAS is brighter than expected.
skyandtelescope.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:45 PM
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By exploring the edge of the solar system, astronomers have estimated how long our star stuck around its siblings after birth.
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#astronomy #sun #cosmology
The Sun Left Home in a Hurry
By exploring the edge of the solar system, astronomers have estimated how long our star stuck around its siblings after birth.
skyandtelescope.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:43 PM
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Saturn's rings are turning as edge-on as we will see them for another 15 years. The planet awaits your scope high in the evening sky. Low in the dawn, the thin Moon approaches Venus.
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#astronomy #stargazing #Saturn #Moon
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 14 – 23
Saturn shines high after dark. Its rings are now turning as edge-on as we'll see them. Low in the dawn, the waning crescent Moon nears Venus.
skyandtelescope.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:57 PM
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Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers might have spotted some of the first stars to form after the Big Bang.
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#astronomy #jameswebb #JWST #bigbang #cosmology
Have Astronomers Discovered the First Generation of Stars?
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers might have spotted some of the first stars to form after the Big Bang. Just like humans, stars exist in multiple generations. This […]
skyandtelescope.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:56 PM
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A small but unique mission to Mars is taking an innovative path to reach the Red Planet in late 2027.
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#astronomy #mars #spacemission #marsexploration #rocket #rocketlaunch #redplanet
ESCAPADE Mission Launches for a Long Trip to Mars
A small but unique mission to Mars is taking an innovative trajectory to reach the Red Planet in late 2027.
skyandtelescope.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:50 PM