Even though our eyes see the star Spica as 1 star, it’s really at least 2. And we see it as distinctly blue-white. Photo by Fred Espenak at AstroPixels. Used with permission.Spica is a close double star| EarthSky
Shireen Gonzaga is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about natural history. She is also a technical editor at an astronomical observatory where she works on documentation for astronomers.| earthsky.org
Larry Sessions has written many favorite posts in EarthSky's Tonight area. He's a former planetarium director in Little Rock, Fort Worth and Denver and an adjunct faculty member at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He's a longtime member of NASA's Solar System Ambassadors program. His articles have appeared in numerous publications including Space.com, Sky & Telescope, Astronomy and Rolling Stone. His small book on world star lore, Constellations, was published by Running Press.| earthsky.org
Don became interested in astronomy at age 8. He received his 1st telescope in 1965, a 2-inch (5cm) refractor. Later he received a 6-inch (15 cm) Criterion Dynascope and found all the Messier Objects in one year (1969-70). He began his 1st comet hunting program in 1975 and found his 1st comet in 1978, after 1700 hours of searching. His 2nd comet took an additional 1742 hours. He ultimately discovered a total of 12 comets, which bear his name. In 1978, Don was one of the independent inventors o...| earthsky.org
This chart shows the 3 stars of the Summer Triangle, in the east in the evening in July. Note Vega’s constellation, Lyra. The Summer Triangle is big! A 12-inch (1/3-meter) ruler, placed at an arm’s length from your eye, will span the approximate distance from Vega to the star Altair. And an outstretched hand will fill the gap between Vega and Deneb. You can see the Summer Triangle in the evening from around May through the end of every year.The Summer Triangle| EarthSky
The bright star Deneb is part of the famous Summer Triangle asterism. Its constellation Cygnus the Swan flies across the July evening sky.Deneb or Alpha Cygni is the northernmost star in the famous Summer Triangle, a prominent asterism visible in the east on July and August evenings. Three bright stars make up the Summer Triangle. They are the brightest stars in three separate constellations. Deneb’s constellation is Cygnus the Swan. In a dark sky, you can imagine the Swan, flying along the...| EarthSky
Altair, in the constellation Aquila the Eagle, makes up the Summer Triangle along with Deneb and Vega. You’ll find this large triangle in the east in the evening in July. As the months pass, the Triangle will shift westward. It’ll grace our skies until around the year’s end. Chart via EarthSky.The bright star Altair, aka Alpha Aquilae, shines as the brightest star in the constellation Aquila the Eagle. Mostly known for being one of the three Summer Triangle stars, this star is distincti...| EarthSky
Members of the EarthSky community - including scientists, as well as science and nature writers from across the globe - weigh in on what's important to them.| earthsky.org
Our Editor-in-Chief Deborah Byrd works to keep all the astronomy balls in the air between EarthSky's website, YouTube page and social media platforms. She's the primary editor of our popular daily newsletter and a frequent host of EarthSky livestreams. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a ...| earthsky.org
The constellation Scorpius with the red star Antares at the Scorpion’s Heart. It’s visible in the evenings for the next few months around the June solstice. Chart via EarthSky.Antares is an eye-catching star, shining with a distinctive bright red sparkle on northern summer evenings. Indeed, in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s a red beacon in winter evening skies. This star, also known as Alpha Scorpii, lies about 550 light-years away. It’s the brightest star in the zodiacal constellation...| EarthSky