Messier 16 (M16), the famous Eagle Nebula, is a star-forming nebula with a young open star cluster located in Serpens. M16 lies near the borders with the constellations Sagittarius and Scutum. The nebula is best known for the Pillars of Creation region, three large pillars of gas famously photographed by Hubble in 1995. Also known… Read More »Messier 16: Eagle Nebula| Messier Objects
Rho Ophiuchi (ρ Oph) is a multiple star system located at a distance of 360 ly from Earth in the constellation Ophiuchus. It is embedded in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.| Star Facts
Barnard’s Star (Gliese 699) is a red dwarf located only 5.96 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus. It is the fourth nearest individual star to Earth, after the three components of the Alpha Centauri system.| Star Facts
Epsilon Indi (ε Ind) is a star system located only 11.867 light-years from the Sun in the southern constellation Indus. With an apparent magnitude of 4.8310, it is visible to the unaided eye.| Star Facts
Acrux, Alpha Crucis (α Cru), is a multiple star system located at a distance of 320 ly from Earth in the constellation Crux. It is the brightest star of the Southern Cross.| Star Facts
Boötes (the Herdsman or Plowman) is a large northern constellation dominated by a kite-shaped asterism. The constellation is home to Arcturus, the brightest northern star, and the contrasting double star Izar.| www.constellation-guide.com
Asterisms are defined as patterns formed by stars of one or more constellations. These star patterns are commonly recognized by observers across the world and once served as a basis for the modern 88 constellations.| www.constellation-guide.com
Mimosa, Beta Crucis (β Cru), is a multiple star system located at a distance of 280 ly in the constellation Crux. It is one of the stars of the Southern Cross.| Star Facts
Imai, Delta Crucis (δ Cru) is a blue-white subgiant star located at a distance of 345 ly in the constellation Crux. It is one of the stars of the Southern Cross.| Star Facts
Gacrux, Gamma Crucis (γ Cru), is a red giant star located at a distance of 88.6 ly in the constellation Crux. It is one of the stars that form the Southern Cross.| Star Facts
Alsephina, Delta Velorum Aa (δ Vel Aa), is the primary component in a triple star system located 80.6 ly away in the constellation Vela. It is one of the four stars that form the False Cross.| Star Facts
The False Cross is an asterism formed by four bright stars in the constellations Vela and Carina. Located in the far southern sky, the diamond-shaped pattern is often confused for the brighter Southern Cross.| www.constellation-guide.com
Muphrid, Eta Boötis (η Boo) is a yellow subgiant star located 37.2 light-years away in the constellation Boötes (the Herdsman). It forms the Kite with Arcturus and other bright stars of Boötes.| Star Facts
Leo is one of the largest constellations in the northern sky. It is home to Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the sky, the nearby red dwarf Wolf 359, and the Leo Triplet of galaxies.| www.constellation-guide.com
Gamma Centauri (γ Cen) is a binary star system located 130 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. The system has the traditional name Muhlifain. It is the fourth brightest point of light in Centaurus.| Star Facts
The Spiral Planetary Nebula (NGC 5189) is a planetary nebula located approximately 1,780 – 3,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Musca (the Fly). It can be seen in small and medium telescopes.| www.constellation-guide.com
Canopus, Alpha Carinae (α Car), is a white bright giant star located at a distance of 310 light years from Earth in the constellation Carina. It is the second brightest star in the sky.| Star Facts
Markeb, Kappa Velorum (κ Vel), is a spectroscopic binary star located 570 light years away in the constellation Vela. It is one of the four bright stars that form the False Cross.| Star Facts
Eta Carinae (η Car) is a massive binary star system located approximately 7,500 light-years away in the constellation Carina. The system consists of two exceptionally massive stars that will end their lives as supernovae.| Star Facts
Canis Major is a constellation in the southern sky. It represents the bigger dog following Orion, the Hunter. The constellation is home to Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, and the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy.| www.constellation-guide.com
Centaurus is a large constellation located in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is home to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to Earth, the bright galaxy Centaurus A, and the globular cluster Omega Centauri.| www.constellation-guide.com
Eridanus is one of the largest constellations in the sky. It represents the celestial river. It is home to Achernar, one of the brightest stars in the sky, the nearby star Epsilon Eridani, and the Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118).| www.constellation-guide.com
Epsilon Eridani (ε Eri) is an orange dwarf located 10.475 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. It is the third nearest visible star to the Sun. It hosts a confirmed planet, Epsilon Eridani b.| Star Facts
Sirius, Alpha Canis Majoris (α CMa), is the brightest star in the sky. The Sirius star system lies at a distance of 8.6 ly from Earth in the constellation Canis Major. It can be found using the stars of Orion's Belt.| Star Facts
40 Eridani (Keid) is a triple star system located 16.34 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. In Star Trek lore, primary component is the host star of the planet Vulcan.| Star Facts
Procyon, Alpha Canis Minoris (α CMi), is the eighth brightest star in the sky. It is the primary component in a binary star system located 11.46 light-years away in the constellation Canis Minor.| Star Facts
Fomalhaut, Alpha Piscis Austrini (α PsA), is a white main sequence star located 25 light-years away in the constellation Piscis Austrinus. Its hosts a planet, Dagon (Fomalhaut b), and is known for its vast debris disk.| Star Facts
The nearest stars to the Sun include some of the brightest stars in the sky, but the majority of the 100 nearest stars are faint red dwarfs, like our nearest neighbour Proxima Centauri.| Star Facts
The list of all the named stars (stars with names that have been formally approved by the IAU), with name origins and etymologies explained.| Star Facts
Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is the largest constellation in the northern sky. It is home to the Big Dipper asterism, formed by its seven brightest stars, and to many well-known deep sky objects.| www.constellation-guide.com
Zeta Ophiuchi (ζ Oph) is a hot blue star located 366 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus. It is the closest O-type to Earth. Shining at magnitude 2.57, it is the third brightest star in Ophiuchus.| Star Facts
Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, is a large constellation near the celestial equator. Representing the healer Asclepius in Greek mythology, the constellation is visible from both hemispheres.| www.constellation-guide.com
Proxima Centauri, Alpha Centauri C (α Cen C), is a red dwarf star located at a distance of 4.244 light years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus. It is the nearest star to the Sun and hosts the two nearest planets, Proxima b and Proxima c.| Star Facts
Vega (Alpha Lyrae) is a fast-spinning white main sequence star located 25.04 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. Shining at magnitude 0.026, it is the fifth brightest star in the sky. It forms the Summer Triangle with Altair and Deneb.| Star Facts
Altair, Alpha Aquilae (α Aql), is a white main sequence star located 16.73 ly from Earth in the constellation Aquila. It forms the Summer Triangle with Vega and Deneb.| Star Facts