Articles About Stars (9)

Vector illustration of thick book and a pencil

Astronomical Glossary - Terms & Definitions

What do astronomers really mean when they use those technical terms?

Illustration of altitude and azimuth in the celestial sphere.

Altitude & Azimuth: The Horizontal Coordinate System

Learn how to use altitude (elevation) and azimuth angles to locate any object in the sky, such as stars, planets, satellites, the Sun, or the Moon.

Timekeeping by Stars

Out and about at night without a watch or a smartphone readily available? If you are in the Northern Hemisphere use the Big Dipper and the North Star to tell the time.

How to measure the sky

Measure the sky and find out distances between celestial objects using your hands and fingers.

An image of the solar system showing the alignment of the Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn for the Great Conjunction of 2020.

What Is a Conjunction?

Two astronomical bodies appear to meet in the sky—but it’s an illusion.

A view from our Night Sky Map of totality over the US city of Dallas at 13:42 (local time) on April 8, 2024.

What Is the Ecliptic?

The ecliptic is the name given to the path the Sun follows through the stars and constellations over the course of a year.

Man on a beach at night gazing up at the stars

What Are Constellations?

What is a constellation? How many constellations are there, how can you spot them, and why isn't the Big Dipper a constellation?

Screenshot of timeanddate.com's Night Sky Map for December 21, 2020, shortly after sunset in the northern hemisphere.

Great Conjunction 2020

In December 2020, Jupiter and Saturn met in the sky in a rare Great Conjunction.

The Sun: Our Home Star

Energy from the Sun reaches Earth in the form of solar radiation, or sunlight.