Astronomy Magazine: Space News, Observing, Planets, Galaxies

Top Stories

Francis Halzen wins the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics

Far-infrared telescope PRIMA advances toward 2033 launch

$Annotated astrophotograph of the Triangulum Galaxy (M33), a face-on spiral with a pale blue-white core, dark dust lanes, and sweeping blue spiral arms dotted with red and pink star-forming regions, set against a dark star field. A bright blue star with diffraction spikes appears at left. Small white labels with leader lines point to star clusters labeled C20, C27, C38, C39, H10, H38, M9, R12, R14, U49, U62, U77, and U137.$

Astrophotography, Deep-Sky Objects

Imaging star clusters in other galaxies

Deep-Sky Objects

Autumn observing targets for large telescopes

Picture of the Day

See all photos

A thin, bright crescent Moon curves along the lower left edge of a pale gray disk near the top of a tall, dark navy frame, wrapped in a soft brownish glow. Far below, near the bottom left, a small bright dot sits in a short diagonal line of tiny specks, three above it and one below.

Jove and Luna

Giovanni Passalacqua from Ragusa, Sicily, Italy

A waning crescent Moon hangs less than 3° from Jupiter in western Leo before dawn on Oct. 6, 2026, hours before it occulted the planet for viewers in North America. All four Galilean moons flank Jupiter at lower left. The photographer shot a single 0.5-second exposure at f/6.3 and ISO 800 with a Canon mirrorless camera and 600mm zoom lens.