This week, we capture worlds and stars in motion, from Anak Krakatau erupting on Earth and dust cascading down Martian slopes to Venus slipping behind the Moon. Farther out, Chandra reveals the powerful stellar wind surrounding a young analog of our Sun, while Hubble catches Ganymede disappearing behind Jupiter—and uses the encounter to probe the giant planet’s atmosphere.
On October 18, 1977, Charles Kowal discovered Chiron using the 1.2-meter Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory. The object revealed an entirely new class of celestial bodies orbiting beyond the Main Asteroid Belt.
Visible planets and night sky guide for October. The 1st quarter moon is today, October 18. See it high at sundown.
Astronomers from the University of Warwick examined 151 white dwarfs situated approximately 65 light-years from Earth. Detailed spectral analyses reveal unexpected optical and atmospheric properties in these stellar remnants.
Venus reaches inferior conjunction soon. It'll pass between Earth and the sun at 4 UTC on October 24. Then Venus emerges in the morning sky. The post Inferior conjunction — Venus! October 23-24, 2026 first appeared on EarthSky .
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