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This is the month of the "Great Celestial Summit Meeting" between a crescent moon, three bright planets and two bright stars. The stars (Pollux and Castor) and planets (Venus, Jupiter and Mercury) will be arrayed across the west-northwest sky during the first half of the month, with the moon moving in to join them during the evenings of June 16 and June 17. The most amazing sight will be provided by Venus and Jupiter as they approach each other on a nightly basis, before finally arriving at a close conjunction, less than two degrees apart, on the evening of June 9. Meanwhile, the early hours of the morning belong to Saturn and Mars. Saturn rises well after midnight most of this month, but is well placed in the southeast sky at the break of dawn. Using a telescope magnifying 30x or more will bring out its beautiful ring system, a big improvement compared to a year ago, when they appeared virtually edgewise to our line of sight. Meanwhile, Mars is becoming easier to sight, after being enmeshed in the bright twilight glow for nearly a year. It becomes evident, low in the east-southeast, a couple of hours before sunup. Shining now at first magnitude, it will brighten, but very slowly, during the second half of this year.

 - Close approach time: 06:50 GMT (02:50 AM EDT) - Close approach distance: 5°32′ - Conjunction time: 11:41 GMT (07:41 AM EDT) - Conjunction distance: 6°11′On June 10, the waning crescent Moon will appear near Saturn (mag 0.9) in the constellation Pisces. Look for them in the morning, above the eastern horizon, about an hour before sunrise. Mars (mag 1.3) will also be visible nearby. A small telescope will reveal faint Neptune (mag 7.9) south of the Moon if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere and north of it if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere.

Nearly a millennium ago, astronomers witnessed a brilliant new star blazing in the sky — a supernova so bright it was visible in daylight for weeks. Today, its expanding remnant, the Crab Nebula, continues to evolve 6,500 light-years away. First linked to historical records by Edwin Hubble, the nebula has since been studied in exquisite detail by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which has now revisited this ancient explosion to trace its ongoing expansion and transformation. A quarter of a century after the first full observation of the Crab Nebula, the Hubble Space Telescope has once again observed this supernova remnant. The Crab Nebula is the remnant of the SN 1054 supernova explosion, located in the constellation Taurus, 6,500 light-years from Earth. The new image clearly shows the nebula’s complex filamentary structure, as well as the changes in these gases as they continue to expand outward over 25 years at speeds of up to 5.5 million kilometers per hour. Scientists found that the outer regions show more pronounced expansion, while the central region is influenced by energy released from the internal pulsar. The research team also used the new data to further analyze the three-dimensional structure of the Crab Nebula, and combined observations from other telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope to study in greater depth the remnants left behind by this supernova explosion from a thousand years ago.  

 - Conjunction time: 12:30 GMT - Conjunction distance: 1°38′ - Close approach time: 19:47 GMT - Close approach distance: 1°36′On June 9, Jupiter and Venus — the two brightest planets in the night sky — will appear close together in the evening sky, above the northwestern horizon. With magnitudes of –1.8 for Jupiter and –4 for Venus, the pair will be strikingly bright and easy to spot with the naked eye. Source: starwalk

 - Date and time : May 31, 2026, 08:45 GMT - Type: Monthly Blue Moon, Micromoon - Constellation: Scorpius - Visibility: Visible to the naked eye; appears full from May 30 to June 1.The second Full Moon in May 2026 — called a Blue Moon — will occur on May 31. This Full Moon also falls near the Moon’s apogee (farthest point from Earth), making it the year’s smallest Micromoon. At the moment of the Full Moon, our natural satellite will be in the constellation Scorpius. 

Recently, a near-Earth asteroid designated 2026 JH2 has drawn attention. It was discovered by astronomers in May 2026 and shortly afterward passed close to Earth. According to NASA’s orbital data, 2026 JH2 came within about 90,000 kilometers of Earth at its closest approach—only about one-quarter of the Earth–Moon distance, which on a cosmic scale is considered an extremely close flyby. This asteroid is estimated to be about 15–35 meters in diameter and belongs to the “Apollo-type near-Earth asteroids.” Its orbit crosses Earth’s orbit, so it is continuously monitored by global astronomical institutions. However, scientists have confirmed that it will not impact Earth on this pass. Although not very large, if a similar object were to enter Earth’s atmosphere, it could still produce a powerful explosion. The 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor event in Russia is a typical example of an impact caused by an object of similar size. Because of its close approach, 2026 JH2 became an observation target for many astronomy enthusiasts during its flyby. It also serves as a reminder that many near-Earth objects are still moving through the solar system, and continuous monitoring of them is an important step in future “planetary defense.”

Scientists believe that inside certain special black holes, there may exist mysterious regions where the future could actually influence the past. Beyond a black hole’s event horizon, there is an even stranger boundary. Under normal circumstances, the universe follows causality: the past determines the present, and the present determines the future. But inside some rotating and electrically charged black holes, these rules may break down. After an object crosses a black hole’s event horizon, the concepts of space and time begin to change. Deeper inside, there may also exist a boundary known as the Cauchy Horizon. Beyond this point, space-time could form structures similar to “time loops,” theoretically allowing objects to travel from the future back into the past. Past the Cauchy horizon, time may flow in a curve like a Möbius strip This phenomenon is known as a “closed timelike curve,” which is also an important concept in many time travel theories. In such regions, causality may become completely chaotic: the future may no longer be determined by the past, and could even affect the past instead. However, most scientists believe these regions would be extremely unstable and could collapse almost instantly after forming. For now, they remain largely theoretical. Even so, these ideas continue to challenge our understanding of time, space, and the laws of the universe, making black holes some of the most mysterious objects in existence.

Artist’s impression of the trans-Neptunian object (612533) 2002 XV93 blocking the light from a distant star NAOJ/Ko Arimatsu Astronomers have discovered that a tiny icy object at the edge of the solar system unexpectedly has a thin atmosphere. The object, (612533) 2002 XV93, is located in the Kuiper Belt and is less than 500 kilometers in diameter. It belongs to a group of objects that share a similar orbit with Pluto. In January 2024, scientists observed the object passing in front of a distant star. Instead of the starlight disappearing instantly, it gradually faded and returned, suggesting the presence of an extremely thin atmosphere around the object. Researchers estimate the atmospheric pressure is millions of times thinner than Earth’s atmosphere, and even much thinner than Pluto’s. Although humans could not breathe in it or see a sky like Earth’s, the atmosphere is still thick enough to bend starlight. Scientists believe the atmosphere may contain methane, nitrogen, or carbon monoxide, but its origin remains unclear. Possible explanations include internal gas release, icy volcanic activity, or even past collisions. This discovery challenges previous ideas about small bodies in the outer solar system, since objects as small as 2002 XV93 were not expected to be able to maintain an atmosphere.

 - Conjunction time: 12:36 GMT (8:36 AM ET) - Conjunction distance: 3°04′ - Close approach time: 13:46 GMT (9:46 AM ET) - Close approach distance: 3°00′On May 20, the thin waxing crescent Moon will appear close to Jupiter (mag -1.9) in the constellation Gemini. Look for them after sunset high above the western horizon. Both objects will be easy to spot with the naked eye. Nearby, the bright stars Castor and Pollux will also be visible, adding to the beauty of the scene.

Leo is one of the most recognizable constellations in the spring night sky. As the winter constellations fade into the west, Leo rises in the evening with its large size, clear shape, and bright stars, making it a great target for beginners. The easiest part of Leo to identify is the “Sickle” shape, which looks like a backward question mark and represents the lion’s head and mane. Some of Leo’s most famous stars include: Regulus — the brightest star in Leo, often called the “Little King.” It lies close to the ecliptic, so the Moon and planets occasionally pass in front of it. Denebola — located at the lion’s tail, this bright star spins very rapidly. Algieba — a famous double-star system that can be split into two golden stars with a small telescope. In Greek mythology, Leo is linked to the story of Hercules defeating the Nemean Lion. Ancient Babylonian, Sumerian, and Arabic cultures also saw this region of the sky as a lion. On spring evenings, Leo can usually be found high in the southeastern sky. If you are unsure where to start, first locate bright Regulus, then follow the stars above it to trace the Sickle shape and the outline of the celestial lion.

A new “X-ray dot” found by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory – which could look like this artist’s illustration released on April 28, 2026 – could explain what the hundreds or potentially thousands of these objects are. Shortly after NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope started its science observations, reports of a new class of mysterious objects emerged. Astronomers found small, red objects about 12 billion light-years from Earth or farther, which became known as “little red dots” (LRDs). The dot that Chandra found exhibits most of the features of an LRD, including being small, red, and located at a vast distance, but it glows in X-ray light, unlike other LRDs – hence the name “X-ray dot.” This object (officially known as 3DHST-AEGIS-12014), which is located about 11.8 billion light-years from Earth, may provide a crucial bridge between black hole stars and typical growing supermassive black holes.

 - Close approach time: May 14, 21:06 GMT (17:06 EDT) - Close approach distance: 4°41′ - Conjunction time: May 15, 00:44 GMT (May 14, 20:44 EDT) - Conjunction distance: 5°09′On May 14, the thin waning crescent Moon will pass close to Mars (mag 1.3) in the constellation Pisces. Another bright planet, Saturn (mag 0.9), will also be fairly close, in the neighboring constellation Cetus. Look for the planets and the thin lunar crescent with the naked eye just before sunrise. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will have better observing conditions as the objects will be farther from the Sun in the sky.

 - Close approach time: 17:33 GMT - Close approach distance: 5°03′ - Conjunction time: 21:58 GMT - Conjunction distance: 5°42′On the morning of May 13, the waning crescent Moon will appear near Saturn (mag 0.9). The Moon will be in Pisces, and Saturn will be in Cetus. Look for them low above the eastern horizon, about an hour before sunrise. Saturn will rise first in the morning twilight. Mars (mag 1.2) will also be visible nearby, closer to the horizon. Viewing conditions will be better in the Southern Hemisphere, where the objects will climb higher above the horizon before sunrise.  

In this new picture from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, a spiral galaxy glittering with star clusters is the center of attention. NGC 3137 is located 53 million light-years away in the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump). As a nearby spiral galaxy, this target offers astronomers an excellent opportunity to study the cycle of stellar birth and death, as well as giving researchers a glimpse of a galactic system similar to our own. NGC 3137 is of particular interest to astronomers because it travels through space with a group of galaxies that is thought to be similar to the Local Group, the galaxy group that contains our Milky Way. Similar to the Local Group, the NGC 3175 group contains two large spiral galaxies: NGC 3137 and NGC 3175, which Hubble has also observed. In the Local Group, the largest members are the Milky Way galaxy and Andromeda, another spiral galaxy. In addition to two large spiral galaxies, both groups also contain a number of smaller dwarf galaxies, although it’s not yet known how many of these tiny companions the NGC 3175 group has; researchers have found more than 500 dwarf galaxy candidates. By studying this nearby galaxy group, astronomers can learn about the dynamics of our own galactic home.

 - Meteors per hour: Up to 50 - Moon illumination: 82% - Best visible from: Southern HemisphereThe Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks on the night of May 5–6. Under dark skies, observers in the Southern Hemisphere can see up to 50 meteors per hour, while those north of the equator may spot around 10–30 shooting stars per hour. In 2026, however, viewing conditions will be challenging: the shower peaks just five days after the Full Moon, so bright moonlight will wash out many faint meteors.