From the Northern Hemisphere, face south around 10 p.m. to see the stars Zubeneschamali and Zubenelgenubi. Their names are pronounced like Obi-Wan Kenobi of Star Wars. From the Southern Hemisphere, look closer to overhead. Maps created with Stellarium by AstroBob. Used with permission.
Now it's Libra's alpha star. But Zubenelgenubi is an Arabic name, indicating this star was once perceived as the Southern Claw of Scorpius the Scorpion. Read more.
Europa has an ocean, hidden beneath its icy crust. The discovery of sodium chloride - aka table salt - on the moon's surface might be strong evidence that Europa's ocean is very similar to Earth's. Read more.
Coming to know the Summer Triangle, then seeing it again and again on summer nights, is a deep pleasure that adds to the enjoyment of this season. Read more.
View larger. | This image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows a classic example of a spiral galaxy. It's labeled NGC 2903, and it's located about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Leo the Lion. Hubble surveyed this galaxy as part of a study of the central regions of roughly 145 nearby disk galaxies. Read more. Image via ESA.
