Backyard Observatory

Backyard Observatory: Space News You Can Actually Use

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The moon will take a starring role in the best stargazing event of June later this month.

This Week's Strawberry Moon Is Also a Supermoon. Here's How to See It

Javier Zayas Photography/Moment/Getty Images

The stars, or rather, planets, are aligning in your favor.

A Rare 5 Planet Alignment Is Visible in the Morning Sky This Month

Alexey Suloev/Shutterstock

Every year, the Grand Canyon hosts a June star party with free entrance to the park and a multi-day program.

There's a Star Party at the Grand Canyon This Month & It's Free

Enhanced image by Kevin M. Gill (CC-BY) based on images provided courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS

NASA's Juno mission continues to produce valuable science about Jupiter.

Jupiter Is a Gorgeous Swirling Mass of Clouds in New Footage from the Juno Spacecraft

Photo by Gabriel Gonzalez (noctografia) / 500px via Getty Images

The details around meteor showers change some from year to year.

A New Meteor Shower Might Give Us a Beautiful Storm of Shooting Stars Tonight

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A red moon will hang in the sky over the US Sunday night.

The Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse Will Turn the Moon Red This Weekend

Phot by m-gucci/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Last week, the moon joined the four-planet line-up in the morning sky.

Venus & Jupiter Will Be So Close This Week That They Almost Look Like a Single Star

shutterstock/Robert P Horton

Following the peak of April’s Lyrid meteor shower, there will be even more to see in the night sky.

4 Planets & the Moon Will Form a Spectacular Line in the Sky This Weekend

Diana Robinson Photography/Moment/Getty Images

Much like meteors during a shower, meteor showers dot the calendar not in an evenly distributed pattern throughout the year but in deluges and droughts.

This Week's Meteor Shower Breaks a Long Drought & Welcomes Spring

Photo by basiczto/Shutterstock

With a little luck, residents in the northern reaches of the US might be able to spot the northern lights the night of April 13 into the morning of April 14.

The Northern Lights May Appear Over Northern U.S. Tonight

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The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has certified a new International Dark Sky Community (IDSC), a designation given to cities or regions that make adjustments to protect the night sky for everyone to enjoy.

Southern Europe Just Got Its First International Dark Sky Park

The northern lights tend not to be something we're out hunting in the summer.

This Week's Strawberry Moon Is Also a Supermoon. Here's How to See It

The strawberry supermoon arrives this week.

A Rare 5 Planet Alignment Is Visible in the Morning Sky This Month

Five planets will be visible in sequential order.

There's a Star Party at the Grand Canyon This Month & It's Free

The annual party includes seven straight days of events.

Jupiter Is a Gorgeous Swirling Mass of Clouds in New Footage from the Juno Spacecraft

See a bit of what Juno "saw" as it approached Jupiter for its recent flyby.

A New Meteor Shower Might Give Us a Beautiful Storm of Shooting Stars Tonight

The tau Herculid meteor shower may or may not happen, but it has the potential to be special.

The Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse Will Turn the Moon Red This Weekend

The first lunar eclipse of 2022 shows up this weekend. Here's how to see it.

Venus & Jupiter Will Be So Close This Week That They Almost Look Like a Single Star

Venus and Jupiter are quite far apart, but they'll look like they're almost a single point during a conjunction this week.

4 Planets & the Moon Will Form a Spectacular Line in the Sky This Weekend

On the morning of Saturday, April 23, you'll be able to easily spot the alignment low in the sky.

This Week's Meteor Shower Breaks a Long Drought & Welcomes Spring

The Lyrid meteor shower will peak on April 22.

The Northern Lights May Appear Over Northern U.S. Tonight

There's a chance you could spot the northern lights in the US the night of April 13 into the morning of April 14.

Southern Europe Just Got Its First International Dark Sky Park

A new International Dark Sky Community has been named.

The Northern Lights May Be Visible Over the U.S. on Wednesday Night

Eruptions on the sun have created conditions that could lead to the northern lights being visible in the northern US.