"These professional astronomers are claiming the exclusive right to give 'approved' names to the stars. But the stars - and the sky - belong to all of us."
When you see bright Sirius low in the sky, you're seeing it shine through an extra thickness of Earth's atmosphere. Then its colorful flashing might surprise you.
The 2017 Geminids were thought to have a better-than-average chance of producing a rich display, since their parent body - a strange rock-comet called 3200 Phaethon - is nearby. And so it was! Photos here.
An EarthSky lunar calendar is sure to delight. Or give the gift that gives back! Check out the new colors and designs of our EarthSky Cares Tees. A percentage of proceeds collected will be donated to select organizations.
Amanda Cross in the UK caught these images of the star Sirius - our sky's brightest star - on December 11. "No color enhancements were made," she wrote. Learn why Sirius is so colorful.
Scott Kuhn in Chatsworth, Georgia used a fisheye lens to create this image of a curved Geminid meteor on the morning of December 14. In the real sky, the meteor would have appeared in a straight line.
