Earth rotates once in about 24 hours with respect to the Sun, but once every 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds with respect to other distant stars. Scientists call this difference crucial to ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky. Earth is today at aphelion, the point in its orbit at which ...

Earth reaches its closest point to the sun in its 2026 orbit on Jan. 3. The sun will appear larger in the sky than on any ...

The winter solstice is a celestial milestone, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year. In 2024, the winter solstice occurs on Saturday, December 21 at 4:20 a.m. ET in the Northern ...

Earth, sun, moon: three objects in space whose interactions have a pretty big impact on our lives. Earth orbits the sun once a year, and it rotates on its axis about once a day (depending on your ...

Day and night will get equal time for a brief moment Monday as much of the world heads into fall. The autumnal equinox arrives Monday, marking the start of the fall season for the Northern Hemisphere ...

At the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice the upper half of the Earth is at its furthest lean away from the sun — leading to the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice ...

Earth's atmosphere is much more sensitive to ripples of radiation from the sun than scientists previously believed, new research by Queen's University Belfast has found. Solar flares, which are sudden ...

Venus could make a brief appearance this weekend as it passes between the Earth and the sun. Just be warned: It won't be easy to spot in the sun's glow, according to astronomers. The orbit Venus takes ...