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EarthSky

@earthskyscience

The universe. On your feed. Updates on your cosmos and world since 1991.

 Austin, TX
earthsky.org
Joined February 2009
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Photo by EarthSky (@earthskyscience)Photo by EarthSky (@earthskyscience)Photo by EarthSky (@earthskyscience)Photo by EarthSky (@earthskyscience)Photo by EarthSky (@earthskyscience)Photo by EarthSky (@earthskyscience)Photo by EarthSky (@earthskyscience)Photo by EarthSky (@earthskyscience)Photo by EarthSky (@earthskyscience)Photo by EarthSky (@earthskyscience)
Tonight and tomorrow night, the #moon — nearing its 3rd quarter phase — will approach Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of #Gemini. Visit EarthSky’s night sky guide at: earthsky.org/astronomy-essen…
EarthSky sky chart showing the waning gibbous moon near Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of Gemini, in the southern morning sky on October 30 and 31, 2026.

ALT EarthSky sky chart showing the waning gibbous moon near Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of Gemini, in the southern morning sky on October 30 and 31, 2026.

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Daylight Time ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 1. Here are 7 tips to help you adjust: buff.ly/t7kAaEX 📸 Joni Stewart.
Close-up of a peacefully sleeping baby with closed eyes and a slightly open mouth, resting against a soft purple blanket.

ALT Close-up of a peacefully sleeping baby with closed eyes and a slightly open mouth, resting against a soft purple blanket.

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Why are some animals ghostly white? If you see an eerily white animal this #Halloween, don’t be afraid! Read about the science behind this unusual coloration: buff.ly/A2SgP4X 📸 Grayson Smith/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A rare white deer with pale fur, pink nose and light-colored eyes stands partially hidden among tree trunks in a lush green forest.

ALT A rare white deer with pale fur, pink nose and light-colored eyes stands partially hidden among tree trunks in a lush green forest.

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#Halloween is almost upon us! At its heart, Halloween is an astronomy holiday rooted in Earth’s orbit around the sun. Find out why in this article: buff.ly/tSo9m09 Or watch a video here: buff.ly/1YVtKmc 📸 Stojan Stojanovski.
A massive golden full moon rises behind a grassy hill, silhouetting a person holding a jack-o’-lantern and nearby trees against the dark night sky.

ALT A massive golden full moon rises behind a grassy hill, silhouetting a person holding a jack-o’-lantern and nearby trees against the dark night sky.

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Another dwarf planet like @Pluto? ED138, newly discovered with the #RubinObservatory, orbits just outside Pluto's orbit. How did astronomers discover it — and how did they miss it so long? Find out at buff.ly/WS2VouQ 📸 NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab.
View of the solar system and orbits with stars in the background and a brighter elliptical swoosh of light blue for the possible dwarf planet's orbit.

ALT View of the solar system and orbits with stars in the background and a brighter elliptical swoosh of light blue for the possible dwarf planet's orbit.

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Meteors sometimes explode high in the air: an #airburst. Will we see airbursts from the #Taurid #meteors this year? New calculations indicate we might. But it rests on 2 big, unproven assumptions. Find out more at: buff.ly/1F39cvj 📸 Mark Boslough.
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October 30, 2003: Auroras swirled over Earth as far south as Texas, fueled by an enormous blast from the sun. The "snow" in the image is charged particles, detected by the SOHO satellite at the height of the solar storms. Read more at: buff.ly/Ot77bAD 📸 NASA/ SOHO.
Red-toned coronagraph image of the sun's outer atmosphere, showing intricate coronal structures and a bright eruption extending from the lower-left edge of the central occulting disk.

ALT Red-toned coronagraph image of the sun's outer atmosphere, showing intricate coronal structures and a bright eruption extending from the lower-left edge of the central occulting disk.

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Have you ever seen #ghostlights? 👻 Traditionally known as will-o’-the-wisps, these strange lights have long been said to be seen over swamps or bogs, and are now often reported dancing over highways. Believe in them if you dare! buff.ly/3v9Ziif 📸 Manny Ruiz.
Night scene. 4 small light spots at the horizon, labeled Marfa lights, and one marked as not a Marfa light.

ALT Night scene. 4 small light spots at the horizon, labeled Marfa lights, and one marked as not a Marfa light.

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Hi stargazers, see Algol the Demon Star! 😈🌟 Meet the scariest star in the sky! Its called #Algol, and it's in the constellation #Perseus. Early astronomers nicknamed it Algol the Demon Star for its spooky behavior. buff.ly/htAH4tL 📸 EarthSky.org.
Star chart shows Cassiopeia and Perseus constellations, with stars Mirfak and Algol labeled.

ALT Star chart shows Cassiopeia and Perseus constellations, with stars Mirfak and Algol labeled.

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What lies behind Halloween’s fascination with darkness, #spirits and the dead? We spoke to Irish folklorist Jenny Butler to explore the ancient Irish festival of #Samhain and the traditions that helped shape #Halloween. Watch here: buff.ly/41UTOnl 📸 EarthSky.
Video presentation about Halloween/Samhain featuring two women.

ALT Video presentation about Halloween/Samhain featuring two women.

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On October 29, 2003 — 23 years ago — an enormous blast of sun-stuff struck Earth from a huge X-level solar flare. People saw auroras as far south as Florida! How'd it happen? And what's the sun doing now? Read EarthSky's #sun news page here: buff.ly/Ot77bAD 📸 NASA.
Diagram, with lines going from the sun to Earth and spreading out over Earth, guided by its magnetic field.

ALT Diagram, with lines going from the sun to Earth and spreading out over Earth, guided by its magnetic field.

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Wow! Reaching 26 feet long, the #oarfish is a colossal feature of the deep #ocean. Now, scientists have found the intricate mechanics behind its efficient swimming. It could hold the key to advances in underwater #robotics. 🐟🌊 buff.ly/OLQJQL0 📸 Isabelleandthesea.
A long, spotted deep-sea fish with glowing white spots and long filaments on its head.

ALT A long, spotted deep-sea fish with glowing white spots and long filaments on its head.

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5 billion years from now, the #sun will start to die. ☀️ It will balloon into a red giant and then turn into a dense, dead core: a #whitedwarf. But what about its #planets? Scientists saw clues in another white dwarf with 2 rings. buff.ly/AATc8A3 📸 ESO/ L. Calçada.
Bright white light at center with reddish disk in 2 segments and small dots at edges.

ALT Bright white light at center with reddish disk in 2 segments and small dots at edges.

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Mandy Daniels in Derbyshire, UK, captured this beautiful composite view of the #moon near the #Pleiades star cluster last night. Thank you, Mandy! buff.ly/JPWUIHb See more photos and submit yours here: buff.ly/VxiUuyf
Dark sky with a thick, bright moon at the top right. There are many white dots to its bottom left.

ALT Dark sky with a thick, bright moon at the top right. There are many white dots to its bottom left.

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Goblin sharks, ghost crabs and vampire bats, oh my! 👺👻🧛 Happy (almost) #Halloween! To get you in the Halloween spirit, we present to you 3 of the most spooky-sounding #animals: goblin #sharks, ghost #crabs and vampire #bats. buff.ly/lcAS2oF 📸 Wikimedia Commons.
2 preserved heads of large fish with very toothy jaws and a long spike protruding from the forehead.

ALT 2 preserved heads of large fish with very toothy jaws and a long spike protruding from the forehead.

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In 2003, 23 years ago, a series of giant #flares on the sun caused record-breaking geomagnetic storms here at Earth — and even overloaded instruments at Mars! Read about these spectacular historic storms at EarthSky's #sun news page: buff.ly/Ot77bAD 📸 Wikipedia.
Waveform with 3 peaks superimposed over image of sun with many bright flares coming from it.

ALT Waveform with 3 peaks superimposed over image of sun with many bright flares coming from it.

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Best Night Sky Forecast For November 2026 nitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1qKVmydgm…
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EarthSky

Best Night Sky Forecast For November 2026

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What are the best things to see in the night #sky in November? 🌠 Join EarthSky's Deborah Byrd at noon CDT today for an overview of observing highlights, such as the #Taurid and #Leonid #meteorshowers and the #planets. 🌌 buff.ly/NnJcN6G 📸 EarthSky.org
Smiling woman at the bottom, with a chart showing Mars, Regulus and Jupiter on her right. Bold white text above says 'Meteors! Planets!'

ALT Smiling woman at the bottom, with a chart showing Mars, Regulus and Jupiter on her right. Bold white text above says 'Meteors! Planets!'

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Hi stargazers! 🔭🌌 Late tonight, the waning gibbous #moon will appear between 2 bright stars, #Capella and #Aldebaran. The #Pleiades star cluster will be nearby, too. For more sky events, visit EarthSky’s night sky guide: buff.ly/4po1O7F 📸 EarthSky.org.
A fat hemisphere, the moon, lies between 2 dots, the stars Capella on the left and Aldebaran on the right. To the far upper right of the hemisphere are 5 small dots tightly grouped. They represent the Pleiades star cluster.

ALT A fat hemisphere, the moon, lies between 2 dots, the stars Capella on the left and Aldebaran on the right. To the far upper right of the hemisphere are 5 small dots tightly grouped. They represent the Pleiades star cluster.

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After heavy #rains this month, #LakePowell in Utah has risen more than 10 feet. But after reaching record lows this summer due to drought, it still has a long way to go to recover. 🌧️💧 Read more: buff.ly/zCdV5aI 📸 Image via European Union/ Copernicus/ Sentinel-2.
Satellite view of a snaky river with widened areas and spurs.

ALT Satellite view of a snaky river with widened areas and spurs.

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