Astronomy

If one stays up late, it could be worthwhile to visit a dark location around midnight and look straight up a bit to the east. 

Edhat readers share their photos of the Delta IV Heavy launch from Vandenberg on Saturday afternoon.

Ron captured a photo of the International Space Station in our local skies.

The International Space Station will be making visible passes through Santa Barbara’s evening skies during the next week, weather permitting.

The International Space Station will be making visible passes through Santa Barbara’s evening skies in July and August, weather permitting.

Those of us awake just before dawn on the 2022 Summer Solstice were treated with a rare planetary alignment that won't occur again for nearly two decades. 

Early risers over the next several days, weather permitting, will see an impressive lineup of planets strewn across our eastern to southeastern horizon.

Edhat readers share photos of Sunday night's blood moon and lunar eclipse.

The International Space Station is passing through and a total lunar eclipse is on the way!

An edhat reader shares photos of the Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg.

In the predawn sky of Thursday, April 5, look to the southeast to see Saturn and much dimmer Mars only 0.4° apart.

March comes in like a Lion, and goes out like a Lamb. In Santa Barbara, where the weather rarely goes to extremes, it means that Leo is rising in the East, and Aries is setting.

UCSB grad student and 2021 LeRoy Apker Award winner Joseph Farah brings his curiosity and drive to discover to Las Cumbres Observatory

Joe captures a timelapse video of Thursday night's moonrise.

A reader shares a photo of a morning moonrise with Venus.

The International Space Station will be making visible evening passes over Santa Barbara during the first week of February.

[Update with Asteroid Flyby Image]: You may have seen news reports about a largish sized potentially hazardous asteroid, (7482) 1994 PC1, that will be flying by Earth over the next few days.

The International Space Station will be making some nice visible evening passes above Santa Barbara from January 13 through January 21.

Ron took advantage of the New Year's sparkling clear skies following our bountiful rains to photograph the Pleiades.

Comet Leonard is 2021’s best comet and is now moving toward its closest point to the sun.

Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus dominate the early evening skies to the southwest, showing the line of the ecliptic, the plane of the solar system.

Edhat readers share their photos of the recent lunar eclipse.

The constellations of Autumn, along with Saturn and Jupiter, are setting earlier, but it's getting dark earlier, too

The Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31) is now overhead in Santa Barbara's night sky.

At dusk on Saturday, October 9, clear skies in Santa Barbara revealed the arresting conjunction of the four-day-old crescent Moon shining only 2.5 degrees away from brilliant Venus. 

Mars is now in conjunction with the Sun, but will be back for a nice appearance at a decent altitude in December of 2022. 

The watery sky is now dominating the east and south, and familiar autumn constellations are returning, led by Pegasus

Mercury, Venus, and Mars are hanging out low in the western sunset sky in early August, but only bright Venus will be easily visible.

On Monday, July 5, we are at aphelion, our most distant from the Sun for the year, about 3.4% farther away than we were at perihelion in January.

Edhat readers share photos of a full strawberry moon rising over Santa Barbara