The right equipment, site, and techniques can make all the difference when you’re observing the night sky under light-polluted skies

Whether you are stargazing in your own backyard, or at a remote dark-sky site, here is the ultimate packing list for your next stargazing trip.

Although we now know that the orbit of Halley’s Comet takes it through the inner solar system about once every 75.3 years, we didn’t always know that was the case.

Although historically divided into two distinct groups, over recent decades, research has revealed that asteroids and comets are more alike than astronomers originally thought.

Learn more about the different types of asteroids and where they are located

Learn more about what characteristics make up comets, how they’re formed, where they originate from, and more.

Because exoplanets exist outside our solar system, orbiting other stars, they can be hard to capture with a telescope. In fact, even Neptune, in our own solar system, is a blurry blue ball when viewed form Earth’s orbit. Because of this, it can be hard to find exoplanets.

In 2006, three criteria were created to indicate what a celestial body must meet in order to be classified as a planet.

Saturn’s rings remain almost as mysterious today as they were to the Italian explorer, Galileo Galilei, when they were his first target with his new telescope 400 years ago.

These photos of Earth from space put into perspective how large our solar system is.

Telescope filters are a great way to observe planets. Color filters allow astronomers to see features easier because they exaggerate brightness differences.

With just a small or medium-sized telescope, skygazers can easily observe the planets of our solar system.

Explore what our solar system has to offer! The planets of our solar system are fascinating worlds, divided into two categories: terrestrial and jovian.

To help get you started with observing the night sky, here are some tips that will help you make the most out of a night under the stars.

Amateur astronomy is a wonderful family-friendly activity and a fun and rewarding way to introduce children to the many wonders of the night sky.