Welcome to StarDate
Home of America’s longest-running national daily astronomy radio feature.
And so much more.
Stardate:
May 18, 2024Radio: Today’s Episode
Mizar and Alcor
Tying together two star systems
Premium Same-Day Audio Access lets you stream episodes of StarDate the same day they air.
Log in or subscribe now to listen!
Radio: Yesterday’s Episode
Black-Hole Binary
“Seeing” a distant black hole
/RSS Feed
Stargazing
Mizar and Alcor
A horse and rider gallop across the north and northwest on May evenings. They are in the handle of the Big Dipper, which is high in the sky at nightfall. They’re the stars Mizar and Alcor. Mizar is the brighter of the two, with fainter Alcor just a whisker away.
Disappearing Dog
As the last blush of evening twilight fades away, look almost due west for Procyon, the little dog star. It’s not all that high in the sky, but if you have a clear horizon, it will stand out.
Cygnus Returns
Beautiful Cygnus, the swan, returns to the evening sky this month. It rises in the northeast by about 11 p.m. Its brightest star is Deneb, which marks the swan’s tail. Its body stretches to the right of Deneb, through the glow of the Milky Way.
Moon Phases
At the new Moon phase, the Moon is so close to the Sun in the sky that none of the side facing Earth is illuminated (position 1 in illustration). In other words, the Moon is between Earth and Sun. At first quarter, the half-lit Moon is highest in the sky at sunset, then sets about six hours later (3). At full Moon, the Moon is behind Earth in space with respect to the Sun. As the Sun sets, the Moon rises with the side that faces Earth fully exposed to sunlight (5).
Today’s Sponsor
Stardate Magazine
Current Issue: MaY/JUNE 2024
The Return of IGRINS
by Emily Howard
This issue highlights the return of an instrument that studies the infrared universe, and after a decade, it’s about to come home to the McDonald Observatory in Texas. We’ll also have all the latest astronomy news, a comprehensive two-month stargazing guide for the months of May and June, detailed skycharts, and answers to your astronomy questions from our science guru Merlin.
Shop
Combos – Bundle and Save
- Product on sale
Digital Magazine & Audio ComboFrom: $35.00 / year - Product on sale
Magazine Combo SubscriptionFrom: $35.00 / year
Popular
-
2024 Sky Almanac$6.00 -
Eclipse Special Guide$6.00 -
StarDate: March/April 2024$6.00
Explore
Featured Images
Fun Factoid
More fun facts in our Astro Field Guide!
Star Teachers
Stars and Galaxies
Galaxies contain billions of stars. Do galaxies collide? Do the stars within them collide?