Comet Swan Is Visible To the Naked Eye and Passing By Earth Tonight

Comet Swan could deliver on the promise of a rare night sky show that Comet Atlas failed to provide. “Already, Swan could be visible to those with exquisitely dark skies and sharp eyes,” reports CNET. “Others might also be able to spot it with binoculars.” From the report: Astronomer Con Stoitsis said some predictions show the comet continuing to brighten in…

Image: Hubble views a galaxy burning bright

In the depths of the night sky lies a barred spiral galaxy called NGC 3583, imaged here by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This is a barred spiral galaxy with two arms that twist out into the universe. This galaxy is located 98 million light-years away from the Milky Way. Two supernovae exploded in this galaxy, one in 1975 and another,…

Virgo? Here’s your constellation

The constellation Virgo the Maiden fully returns to the early evening sky – with her feet planted on the eastern horizon – in early May. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/virgo-heres-your-constellation…

What’s a constellation? What’s an asterism?

Both constellations and asterisms are patterns of stars. What’s the difference? Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/definition-what-is-a-constellation-asterism…