Astronomy Magazine

Nov. 2, 1885: Birth of Harlow Shapley

Elisa Neckar — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Born Nov. 2, 1885, In Missouri, Harlow Shapley earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1913. From 1914 to 1921, he was posted at Mount Wilson Observatory, where he used the 60-inch telescope to study globular clusters and Cepheid variables. From 1921 to 1952, Shapley was the director of the Harvard College Observatory, helping establishContinue reading "Nov. 2, 1885: Birth of Harlow Shapley"

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The Sky Today on Sunday, November 2: Neptune nestles between Saturn and the Moon

Alison Klesman — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. November 1: Dip into the Bay of Rainbows Daylight saving time ends today at 2 A.M. So, if you are in an area that observes daylight saving time, your clocks will “fall back” from 1:59 A.M. daylight time to 1 A.M. standardContinue reading "The Sky Today on Sunday, November 2: Neptune nestles between Saturn and the Moon"

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Comet Lemmon in November

Michael E. Bakich — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 21:25:52 +0000

Now that we’ve passed Halloween and moved into November, comet-watchers expect that Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) will fade. But we really can’t tell right now because the bright Moon is spreading so much light in our night sky that it makes the comet hard to see. So, between now and November 5, let’s take a break and wait untilContinue reading "Comet Lemmon in November"

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2025 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases

Jake Parks — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 16:40:56 +0000

The phenomenon of a Full Moon arises when our planet, Earth, is precisely sandwiched between the Sun and the Moon. This alignment ensures the entire side of the Moon that faces us gleams under sunlight. Thanks to the Moon’s orbit around Earth, the angle of sunlight hitting the lunar surface and being reflected back toContinue reading "2025 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases"

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How I flew to space, by S. Alan Stern

S. Alan Stern — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000

In late 2023, I flew in space. But I didn’t fly as a NASA astronaut or a space tourist. Instead, I flew on a training and research mission aboard a Virgin Galactic spaceplane for my company, the more-than-3,000-person research and development nonprofit Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The mission, named Galactic 5, was barely an hourContinue reading "How I flew to space, by S. Alan Stern"

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Nov. 1, 1917: The Hooker Telescope sees first light

Elisa Neckar — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Under the leadership of George Ellery Hale, the mirror for Mount Wilson’s 100-inch scope was ordered in 1906. Businessman John Hooker initially covered the expenses; when he later withdrew his support, Andrew Carnegie would complete the funding. The project was delayed several times, at first by disappointment with the initial version of the mirror thatContinue reading "Nov. 1, 1917: The Hooker Telescope sees first light"

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The Sky Today on Saturday, November 1: Dip into the Bay of Rainbows

Alison Klesman — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. October 31: Peer into the Ghost’s Goblet Tonight is a chance to view the remains of a huge impact crater on the Moon: Sinus Iridium, which carves out a chunk of Mare Imbrium. You can begin viewing the Moon any time thisContinue reading "The Sky Today on Saturday, November 1: Dip into the Bay of Rainbows"

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November 2025: What’s in the sky this month? Mercury switches from evening to morning as giant planets dominate the night

Martin Ratcliffe — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 05:01:00 +0000

Mercury switches from the evening to morning sky this month, while the giant planets dominate the night. The moons of Jupiter and Saturn offer many events. Venus stars on early November mornings, but drops lower day by day. Mercury shines at magnitude –0.1 on Nov. 1 and hangs low in the southwest after sunset. ItContinue reading "November 2025: What’s in the sky this month? Mercury switches from evening to morning as giant planets dominate the night"

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November 2025: What’s in the Southern Hemisphere sky this month?

Alison Klesman — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

As November begins, two of the solar system’s rocky planets form a nice pair low in the western sky during twilight. They add a sparkle to our view of the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion as it sinks toward the horizon. Innermost Mercury comes into view first. It shines at magnitude –0.1 and appears 8° directlyContinue reading "November 2025: What’s in the Southern Hemisphere sky this month?"

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Did aliens watch 1950s nuclear tests? ‘Maybe,’ studies say

Brooks Mendenhall — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 22:16:48 +0000

For decades, astronomers have been aware of something weird lurking on old, 1950s-era photographic plates: starlike flashes of light (called “transients”) that appear from nowhere and vanish just as quickly. Since these plates were taken before the 1957 launch of Sputnik, the usual explanation of satellites or space junk was out. These mystery blips haveContinue reading "Did aliens watch 1950s nuclear tests? ‘Maybe,’ studies say"

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