Magazine | Page 11 of 283 | Astronomy.com

three spectra

How does spectroscopy work?

The constellation Orion the Hunter hosts two of the 10 brightest stars in the sky, Betelgeuse and Rigel. At magnitude 0.5 and 0.2, respectively, Betelgeuse (orange star at upper left) and Rigel (blue-white star at lower right) stand in stark contrast to many of the surrounding stars.

Why do astronomers measure stars in magnitudes?

NGC 2623 is a great example of what a pair of interacting galaxies looks like, 260 million light-years distant. Galaxies need mergers or other cosmic events to perturb different regions and trigger star formation and galaxy evolution.

Survivors from the Milky Way’s birth

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the nearest major galaxy, and spans a width equivalent to more than six Full Moons.

Deep-Sky Objects

How to grasp the scale of the cosmos from your backyard

Observing, Observing Basics

Why aren’t the constellations always drawn the same way?

Telescopes and Equipment

Find cool products this hot month

V838 Monocerotis

What is a light echo?

10 modern mysteries of the universe

Star trails over Joshua Tree National Park

August 2024: What’s in the sky this month?

Orion Nebula

Observing, Observing Basics

How do light pollution filters work?

Deep-Sky Objects

Tools for finding dark skies

The gegenschein rests at the tip of the dimmer pyramidal-shaped false zodiacal light.

The mysteries behind the gegenschein