Astronomy

Get facts about astronomy. Learn about the moon, sun, stars, planets, galaxies, and more.

The largest solstice celebration in the world is at Stonehenge in England. — The solstice is the longest or shortest day of the year, depending on whether you live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. It marks the official beginning of summer and winter. Here’s a collection of useful and interesting solstice facts. The Solstice Marks the Longest and Shortest Day of the […]

Solstice Fast Facts

This entry was posted on June 21, 2018 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on June 28, 2018)

Astronomy Word Search DBL — Word search puzzles are a fun way to learn glossary terms for a subject. This word search has an out-of-this-world set of glossary terms dealing with astronomy. Find astronomy-themed words from the list in vertical, horizontal, and diagonal directions. The puzzle is optimized to fit on a standard 8.5″x11″ sheet […]

Astronomy Word Search Puzzle

This entry was posted on April 23, 2018 by Todd Helmenstine (updated on May 2, 2018)

Full Moon (Ganapathy Kumar) — The full moon has many names. Some names are based on the Moon’s appearance, while other signify the meaning of a full moon during a certain month, season, or astronomical event. Here is a list of full moon names and what they mean. Full Moon Names for Appearance Sometimes the […]

Full Moon Names

This entry was posted on March 31, 2018 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on June 28, 2018)

Constellations Wordsearch Puzzle — Constellations are patterns we’ve assigned to groups of stars in the night sky. A constellations wordsearch is patterns of letters hidden in a sky of letters. Find the names of major constellations in this wordsearch puzzle. The names of the constellations can be found vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. The puzzle is […]

Constellations Wordsearch Puzzle

This entry was posted on December 28, 2017 by Todd Helmenstine

Data from Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko or the Rosetta Comet tells us how a comet smells. ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team — The Rosetta probe made incredible discoveries about comets by taking measurements of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Its ROSINA instrument (Rosetta Orbiter Sensor for Ion and Neutral Analysis) included two mass spectrometers that determined how a comet smells. If you think it smells like a dirty snowball, guess again (unless you find that snowball at […]

What Does a Comet Smell Like?

This entry was posted on November 27, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on March 4, 2018)

If you wear sunglasses for a solar eclipse, you could actually increase the risk of eye damage. — Everyone knows you shouldn’t look directly at the Sun. The rule also applies during a solar eclipse (except during totality). NASA and the media have done a great job explaining that it’s important to use special eclipse glasses to view the eclipse, but you may be wondering whether eclipse glasses […]

Why Sunglasses for a Solar Eclipse Are a Bad Idea

This entry was posted on August 16, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on August 26, 2017)