Astronomy

The planets inside of Earth's orbit, Mercury and Venus, are so near to the Sun that they are often only visible close to sunset and sunrise--especially Mercury. The planets outside of Earth's...

Constellations are groupings of stars that resemble a pattern when an observer looks up into the sky at night. Ancient civilizations designated 88 constellations, giving them names corresponding...

To locate the planet Saturn, a stargazer needs to understand a few things about the evening sky. She first must acquaint herself with the ecliptic. After accomplishing this, she must familiarize...

The Zodiac is a long recognized group of constellations that lie in the same plane as the orbits of the Earth and the other planets. This plane is known as the ecliptic and as the planets make...

Saturn is the second largest of all the known planets in our solar system and is the sixth world in terms of distance from the sun. Saturn, like the other planets, orbits the Sun, taking 29.5...

Libra the Scales is one of the hardest of the Zodiac constellations to find for the novice stargazer. The Zodiac constellations are 12 star groupings that lie on the ecliptic, which is the path...

Virgo is a Zodiac constellation associated with the month of September. Lying between Leo the Lion and Libra the Scales in the Zodiac, Virgo is the second largest constellation in the sky; only...

The constellation of Cancer represents the giant crab that attacked Hercules during the second of his 12 labors. It was sent by the jealous goddess Hera to give Hercules a hard time as he battled...

Aries is a Zodiac constellation associated with the month of April in astrology. The first sign of the Zodiac, Aries looks nothing like what it is supposed to be, a ram. However, it is possible to...

Pisces is a faint Zodiac constellation that is astrologically associated with the month of March. People born between February 19 and March 20 are considered to be born under the sign of Pisces,...

The constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer represents the eleventh sign of the Zodiac. It is one of the oldest constellations recognized by the ancients. It takes a sharp eye to find Aquarius,...

The year-long path of the sun against the background of fixed stars is known as the ecliptic. Any constellation (a group of star that forms a pattern in the sky) given a name by the ancients that...

The constellation known as the Herdsman, or Bootes, appears in the northern sky in the early summer. It can be seen best in June, and you should find it visible between 90 degrees N and 50 degrees...

Of the 88 constellations in the nighttime sky, 12 reside in the sky on a rotating basis, spaced about the lunar calendar. Cetus is not part of the Zodiac but lies just below the belt of the...

The constellation Cetus is not a member of a single constellation family. It belongs to a group of families known as "The Heavenly Waters." Cetus is not part of the Zodiac but lies just below the...

Of the 88 constellations in the nighttime sky, 12 have very special meaning. They reside in the sky on a rotating basis, spaced about the lunar calendar. Cetus is not part of he Zodiac but lies...

The constellation Cetus originally was called the "sea monster," but that evolved into "the whale." Cetus is not part of the Zodiac but lies just below the belt of the Zodiac. The best month of...

The constellation of Cancer is home to two star clusters that are visible with binoculars. One is easy to find while the other can be viewed with a little effort. Follow these steps to find it.