News From “Astronomy” Magazine
Astronomy is the world’s best-selling monthly magazine about space and the science of the cosmos.
It was founded in August 1973 by Stephen A. Walther, an amateur astronomer and pilot.
It’s designed for stargazers and space fans at every level, from total beginners to seasoned hobbyists.
Astronomy news published by Astronomy magazine.
National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky, 2nd Edition. #1 Best Seller.
Oct. 25, 1671: Iapetus is discovered
2026-10-25 13:00
Astronomy Magazine
In 1669, French-Italian astronomer Giovanni Cassini arrived at the still-under-construction Paris Observatory as its new director. He quickly talked Louis XIV’s minister of finance into buying a 34-foot Campani refractor for the observatory, and on...
The Sky Today on Sunday, October 25: Dione crosses Saturn
2026-10-25 08:00
Astronomy Magazine
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. October 24: Mercury stands still Saturn’s small moon Dione transits the disk this evening at 8:43 p.m. EDT, best seen from the...
Oct. 24, 1601: The death of Tycho Brahe
2026-10-24 13:00
Astronomy Magazine
In Astronomy’s 2022 list of the 20 greatest astronomers of all time, Associate Editor Michael Bakich ranked Tycho Brahe No. 2, second only to Galileo, noting: “Danish astronomer Tyge (Tycho) Ottesen Brahe was history’s greatest...
The Sky Today on Saturday, October 24: Mercury stands still
2026-10-24 08:00
Astronomy Magazine
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. October 23: Nab Neptune near the Moon Mercury reaches a stationary point in Libra at 8 A.M. EDT. The tiny planet is...
Announcing the winners of Astronomy Magazine’s 2026 Astrophotography Contest
2026-10-23 20:21
Astronomy Magazine
Astronomy magazine is proud to announce the winners of its 2026 Astrophotography Contest, presented by Celestron — the magazine’s first photo contest in 13 years. More than 1,400 entries poured in from photographers around the...
2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases
2026-10-23 13:30
Astronomy Magazine
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....
Oct. 23, 1893: Birth of Ernest Opik
2026-10-23 13:00
Astronomy Magazine
Born Oct. 23, 1893, in Estonia, Ernest Opik was based at the Astronomical Observatory in Tartu from 1921-1944. It was there in the 1920s that he began to research meteors and comets, their frequencies, and...
The Sky Today on Friday, October 23: Nab Neptune near the Moon
2026-10-23 08:00
Astronomy Magazine
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. October 22: Iapetus at superior conjunction The nearly Full Moon passes 5° north of Neptune at 11 P.M. EDT, creating a celestial...
The Sky This Week from October 23 to 30: Gaze at the Full Hunter’s Moon
2026-10-23 05:00
Astronomy Magazine
Friday, October 23The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune at 11 P.M. EDT; you can catch the pair in the south around that time, along with Saturn in the southwest, just to the Moon’s lower...
Mars’ moon Phobos is destined to become a ring
2026-10-22 13:50
Astronomy Magazine
Phobos, it seems, is not long for this universe — at least on the large cosmic timescale. Astronomers have long known that Phobos, the larger and nearer of the two martian moons, is slowly spiraling...