The EarthSky community has many talented astrophotographers who capture stunning images of the deep sky. We gathered some of our favorite deep-sky photos from June 2026 for you to enjoy. Do you have images of your own to share? You can submit them to EarthSky here. We’d love to see them and share them!
Deep-sky photos of diffuse nebulae
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, captured this telescopic view of the Lagoon Nebula and its surroundings in Sagittarius, on June 10, 2025. Andy wrote: “Chinese Dragon Nebula (left up), Lagoon Nebula (center), Trifid Nebula (right up) all about 5,000 light-years away. Additionally the Starburst Cluster (NGC 6544) is found in the lower left), 8,000+ light-years away. If you look closely at the Chinese Dragon Nebula you will see a snake like creature winding through the nebula.” Thank you, Andy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) captured this telescopic view of the Chinese Dragon Nebula on June 14, 2026. Tameem wrote: “My image of the Chinese Dragon Nebula (NGC 6559), captured from the United Arab Emirates. Located in the constellation Sagittarius about 5,000 light-years away, NGC 6559 is a complex star-forming region composed of emission nebulae, reflection nebulae, and dark dust clouds. The interplay between glowing gas, scattered starlight, and obscuring dust creates the dragon-like appearance that inspired its popular nickname. Although often overshadowed by the nearby Lagoon Nebula (M8), NGC 6559 is a fascinating region in its own right, revealing active star formation and intricate interstellar structures within the Milky Way.” Thank you, Tameem!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Livingston Manor, New York, captured this telescopic view of the Blue Horsehead Nebula on June 15, 2026. Steven wrote: “The Blue Horsehead Nebula, IC4592 is a reflection nebula in the constellation of Scorpius that is lit by Nu Scorpii, which is the bright star in the most blue portion. It spans 40 light-years and is 400 light-years from earth. Being so close, it takes up much of the sky. The image shown is 7.0 degrees x 4.6 degrees, or approximately 14 full moons by 9 full moons.” Thank you, Steven!
More photos of diffuse nebulae
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Oleg Rumiancev in Bainsville, Ontario, Canada, captured this telescopic view of the Cygnus Loop on June 15, 2026. Oleg wrote: “A first light of an extra fast imaging Newtonian telescope from Sharpstar, incredible level of detail from a modest 2 hours of imaging data.” Thank you, Oleg!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) captured this telescopic view of Messier 17, the Omega Nebula in Sagittarius, on June 20, 2026. Tameem wrote: “My image of the Omega Nebula (M17) and the surrounding emission nebula IC 4701, captured from the skies of the United Arab Emirates. The Omega Nebula is one of the brightest star-forming regions in our galaxy. It is also known as the Swan Nebula, Horseshoe Nebula, or Lobster Nebula because its appearance changes depending on the orientation and field of view. Its intense ultraviolet radiation from young, massive stars causes the surrounding hydrogen gas to glow, while dark dust clouds sculpt its intricate structure. The wide field also reveals part of IC 4701, an extended emission nebula sharing the same giant molecular cloud complex, highlighting the rich network of gas and dust spread across this region of the Milky Way.” Thank you, Tameem!
Deep-sky photos of distant galaxies
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, captured this telescopic view of the Leo Triplet of Galaxies on June 24, 2026. Andy wrote: “M66 (top left), M65 (lower left), Hamburger Galaxy NGC 3628 (right). Pics were taken in May and processed in June. It was encouraging to see how using hydrogen-alpha data enriched the result. These galaxies are a long way away, 37 million light-years. So, I am pretty happy with this pic.” Thank you, Andy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, captured this telescopic view of Messier 101, the Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major, on June 17, 2026. Andy wrote: “Pics were taken during May 26 and processed in June. The most fun about this image was it was the first time I used an OSC camera to also take hydrogen-alpha images. The result was that the reds in the image had greater emphasis thus making a more interesting image. Ya, I finally figured out how to do that with PixInsight (PI).” Thank you, Andy!
Bottom line: Enjoy this gallery of deep-sky photos from June 2026 by our EarthSky community. If you have a great photo to share, we’d love to see it!
The EarthSky community has many talented astrophotographers who capture stunning images of the deep sky. We gathered some of our favorite deep-sky photos from June 2026 for you to enjoy. Do you have images of your own to share? You can submit them to EarthSky here. We’d love to see them and share them!
Deep-sky photos of diffuse nebulae
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, captured this telescopic view of the Lagoon Nebula and its surroundings in Sagittarius, on June 10, 2025. Andy wrote: “Chinese Dragon Nebula (left up), Lagoon Nebula (center), Trifid Nebula (right up) all about 5,000 light-years away. Additionally the Starburst Cluster (NGC 6544) is found in the lower left), 8,000+ light-years away. If you look closely at the Chinese Dragon Nebula you will see a snake like creature winding through the nebula.” Thank you, Andy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) captured this telescopic view of the Chinese Dragon Nebula on June 14, 2026. Tameem wrote: “My image of the Chinese Dragon Nebula (NGC 6559), captured from the United Arab Emirates. Located in the constellation Sagittarius about 5,000 light-years away, NGC 6559 is a complex star-forming region composed of emission nebulae, reflection nebulae, and dark dust clouds. The interplay between glowing gas, scattered starlight, and obscuring dust creates the dragon-like appearance that inspired its popular nickname. Although often overshadowed by the nearby Lagoon Nebula (M8), NGC 6559 is a fascinating region in its own right, revealing active star formation and intricate interstellar structures within the Milky Way.” Thank you, Tameem!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Livingston Manor, New York, captured this telescopic view of the Blue Horsehead Nebula on June 15, 2026. Steven wrote: “The Blue Horsehead Nebula, IC4592 is a reflection nebula in the constellation of Scorpius that is lit by Nu Scorpii, which is the bright star in the most blue portion. It spans 40 light-years and is 400 light-years from earth. Being so close, it takes up much of the sky. The image shown is 7.0 degrees x 4.6 degrees, or approximately 14 full moons by 9 full moons.” Thank you, Steven!
More photos of diffuse nebulae
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Oleg Rumiancev in Bainsville, Ontario, Canada, captured this telescopic view of the Cygnus Loop on June 15, 2026. Oleg wrote: “A first light of an extra fast imaging Newtonian telescope from Sharpstar, incredible level of detail from a modest 2 hours of imaging data.” Thank you, Oleg!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) captured this telescopic view of Messier 17, the Omega Nebula in Sagittarius, on June 20, 2026. Tameem wrote: “My image of the Omega Nebula (M17) and the surrounding emission nebula IC 4701, captured from the skies of the United Arab Emirates. The Omega Nebula is one of the brightest star-forming regions in our galaxy. It is also known as the Swan Nebula, Horseshoe Nebula, or Lobster Nebula because its appearance changes depending on the orientation and field of view. Its intense ultraviolet radiation from young, massive stars causes the surrounding hydrogen gas to glow, while dark dust clouds sculpt its intricate structure. The wide field also reveals part of IC 4701, an extended emission nebula sharing the same giant molecular cloud complex, highlighting the rich network of gas and dust spread across this region of the Milky Way.” Thank you, Tameem!
Deep-sky photos of distant galaxies
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, captured this telescopic view of the Leo Triplet of Galaxies on June 24, 2026. Andy wrote: “M66 (top left), M65 (lower left), Hamburger Galaxy NGC 3628 (right). Pics were taken in May and processed in June. It was encouraging to see how using hydrogen-alpha data enriched the result. These galaxies are a long way away, 37 million light-years. So, I am pretty happy with this pic.” Thank you, Andy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, captured this telescopic view of Messier 101, the Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major, on June 17, 2026. Andy wrote: “Pics were taken during May 26 and processed in June. The most fun about this image was it was the first time I used an OSC camera to also take hydrogen-alpha images. The result was that the reds in the image had greater emphasis thus making a more interesting image. Ya, I finally figured out how to do that with PixInsight (PI).” Thank you, Andy!
Bottom line: Enjoy this gallery of deep-sky photos from June 2026 by our EarthSky community. If you have a great photo to share, we’d love to see it!
Helicopter used to fight the Bar Creek fire in Montana, October 2012. How does smoke from distant wildfires affect birds? Image via U.S. Forest Service/ Wikimedia Commons.
How does smoke from distant wildfires affect birds?
Wildfires in the United States are increasing in severity, both in terms of size and frequency. Wildfire smoke can travel far, and there is a growing awareness of how this can harm the health of people. It can trigger respiratory irritation, asthma flare-ups and even heart attacks. Are birds also at risk?
Populations of many species are declining, and understanding the risks they face is important for their conservation. Scientists currently think that, yes, birds can be harmed by smoke from distant fires. But there is a lot more that needs to be learned.
No escape for birds
Exposure to large amounts of smoke is obviously harmful to people and wildlife. Smoke is chock full of toxic components, like carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and other harmful gases, as well as heavy metals. Thick smoke kills fast.
But what about those hazy days during the fire season? Are birds similarly troubled by chronically unclean air? Afterall, they cannot escape indoors during smoke outbreaks and turn on an air filter.
Scientists are studying these sorts of questions. Here is a brief snapshot.
Effects on body mass
One study last year found that the weight and body size of house wren (Troglodytes aedon) nestlings decreased on smoky days.
This could have been due to less successful foraging by the parent or the direct effects of smoke on nestlings, or a combination of factors. The question of whether skinnier nestlings fare well or poorly as juveniles needs further study. In general, though, when a bird fledges, more heft equates to better chances for survival.
Another study found, similarly, that birds recaptured at the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory gained less weight when particulate levels were high. This data came from bird banding events from 2000 to 2021.
Are birds like this one – a bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) – affected by smoke from wildfires? Image via Laura Wolf/ Flickr.
Effects on vocalizations
Scientists at Cornell University found that wildfire smoke reduced the vocalizations of grassland birds in New York.
The most pronounced effects were observed in bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) during an intense smoke outbreak at the start of the breeding season. Other birds were impacted too, including savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) and common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas). Later during the breeding season, when smoke was less intense, some birds’ vocalizations increased.
A 2024 study revealed reductions in the sounds produced by birds during an intense smoke outbreak in central and eastern Washington during 2020.
Bird vocalizations are important for mate attraction and territory defense during the breeding season. Later, these calls and songs are critical for interactions between parents and offspring. There are complexities in the impacts of smoke on bird vocalizations. For example, differences among species or variable effects at different times of the year. These warrant further attention.
When one team of scientists fitted tule greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons elgasi) with GPS transmitters, they found that the geese altered their migration patterns during smoke events. Specifically, the birds either stopped migrating or changed the direction and altitude of their flights. Ultimately, this meant that the birds had to travel longer and farther to reach their destination.
Migrating birds have heightened energy demands and are particularly vulnerable to disturbances. In 2020 – a bad year for wildfire smoke – large numbers of birds were found dead or dying along migration routes in the western United States.
Some deaths were attributed to a winter storm in the Rocky Mountains, which caused mass starvation in insectivorous birds (birds that eat insects) traveling down the Central Flyway. However, many non-insectivorous birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway also died. Quite possibly, high levels of wildfire smoke contributed to their demise.
There are still a lot of unknowns about how wildfire smoke can affect migrating birds.
One team of scientists analyzed data obtained from the North American Breeding Bird Survey during 2008 to 2022. They found that wildfire pollution was associated with declines in the number of species present, a measure called species richness. Declines in species abundance and diversity were also observed.
eBird is a great place to record your bird observations. The comment section in eBird allows space for the recording of field notes about the weather. Many people also use the RainCrow app for this purpose. If you are out birding and smell smoke in the air, include that information too. Even better, include data on the air quality index (AQI) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The AQI for PM2.5 is a good proxy for wildfire smoke in the atmosphere.
But please use caution and avoid birding when the air quality is poor. If you do find yourself outdoors during a hazardous smoke event, wear a mask.
Project Phoenix is a community science project focused on learning how wildfire smoke impacts West Coast birds. Find out how to get involved here.
Air quality index (AQI) for ozone and particle pollution. Image via AirNow.gov.
Bottom line: Smoke from distant wildfires can affect birds in several ways, such as through changes in health, vocalization behavior and migratory patterns.
Helicopter used to fight the Bar Creek fire in Montana, October 2012. How does smoke from distant wildfires affect birds? Image via U.S. Forest Service/ Wikimedia Commons.
How does smoke from distant wildfires affect birds?
Wildfires in the United States are increasing in severity, both in terms of size and frequency. Wildfire smoke can travel far, and there is a growing awareness of how this can harm the health of people. It can trigger respiratory irritation, asthma flare-ups and even heart attacks. Are birds also at risk?
Populations of many species are declining, and understanding the risks they face is important for their conservation. Scientists currently think that, yes, birds can be harmed by smoke from distant fires. But there is a lot more that needs to be learned.
No escape for birds
Exposure to large amounts of smoke is obviously harmful to people and wildlife. Smoke is chock full of toxic components, like carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and other harmful gases, as well as heavy metals. Thick smoke kills fast.
But what about those hazy days during the fire season? Are birds similarly troubled by chronically unclean air? Afterall, they cannot escape indoors during smoke outbreaks and turn on an air filter.
Scientists are studying these sorts of questions. Here is a brief snapshot.
Effects on body mass
One study last year found that the weight and body size of house wren (Troglodytes aedon) nestlings decreased on smoky days.
This could have been due to less successful foraging by the parent or the direct effects of smoke on nestlings, or a combination of factors. The question of whether skinnier nestlings fare well or poorly as juveniles needs further study. In general, though, when a bird fledges, more heft equates to better chances for survival.
Another study found, similarly, that birds recaptured at the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory gained less weight when particulate levels were high. This data came from bird banding events from 2000 to 2021.
Are birds like this one – a bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) – affected by smoke from wildfires? Image via Laura Wolf/ Flickr.
Effects on vocalizations
Scientists at Cornell University found that wildfire smoke reduced the vocalizations of grassland birds in New York.
The most pronounced effects were observed in bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) during an intense smoke outbreak at the start of the breeding season. Other birds were impacted too, including savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) and common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas). Later during the breeding season, when smoke was less intense, some birds’ vocalizations increased.
A 2024 study revealed reductions in the sounds produced by birds during an intense smoke outbreak in central and eastern Washington during 2020.
Bird vocalizations are important for mate attraction and territory defense during the breeding season. Later, these calls and songs are critical for interactions between parents and offspring. There are complexities in the impacts of smoke on bird vocalizations. For example, differences among species or variable effects at different times of the year. These warrant further attention.
When one team of scientists fitted tule greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons elgasi) with GPS transmitters, they found that the geese altered their migration patterns during smoke events. Specifically, the birds either stopped migrating or changed the direction and altitude of their flights. Ultimately, this meant that the birds had to travel longer and farther to reach their destination.
Migrating birds have heightened energy demands and are particularly vulnerable to disturbances. In 2020 – a bad year for wildfire smoke – large numbers of birds were found dead or dying along migration routes in the western United States.
Some deaths were attributed to a winter storm in the Rocky Mountains, which caused mass starvation in insectivorous birds (birds that eat insects) traveling down the Central Flyway. However, many non-insectivorous birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway also died. Quite possibly, high levels of wildfire smoke contributed to their demise.
There are still a lot of unknowns about how wildfire smoke can affect migrating birds.
One team of scientists analyzed data obtained from the North American Breeding Bird Survey during 2008 to 2022. They found that wildfire pollution was associated with declines in the number of species present, a measure called species richness. Declines in species abundance and diversity were also observed.
eBird is a great place to record your bird observations. The comment section in eBird allows space for the recording of field notes about the weather. Many people also use the RainCrow app for this purpose. If you are out birding and smell smoke in the air, include that information too. Even better, include data on the air quality index (AQI) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The AQI for PM2.5 is a good proxy for wildfire smoke in the atmosphere.
But please use caution and avoid birding when the air quality is poor. If you do find yourself outdoors during a hazardous smoke event, wear a mask.
Project Phoenix is a community science project focused on learning how wildfire smoke impacts West Coast birds. Find out how to get involved here.
Air quality index (AQI) for ozone and particle pollution. Image via AirNow.gov.
Bottom line: Smoke from distant wildfires can affect birds in several ways, such as through changes in health, vocalization behavior and migratory patterns.
This chart shows the orientation of the Big and Little Dippers on July evenings from the Northern Hemisphere. These constellations can help you find Polaris and Thuban, the present and former pole stars. Chart via EarthSky.
Tonight, use the Big Dipper asterism in the constellation Ursa Major to find the sky’s northern pole star, Polaris. Polaris is located nearly exactly above Earth’s northern axis, meaning the entire northern sky appears to turn around it.
Then once you find Polaris, you can also look for a famous former pole star: Thuban. Part of the constellation Draco the Dragon, Thuban was the northern pole star for the builders of the pyramids 5,000 years ago. See how to find Thuban and Polaris below.
Use the Big Dipper to find Polaris
To find Polaris, draw a line through the Big Dipper’s pointer stars Dubhe and Merak (see the chart above). That line will point to Polaris, our modern-day North Star. You can use this trick to find Polaris any evening, no matter how the Dipper is oriented with respect to your northern horizon.
Once you’ve got Polaris, you might be able to see that it’s part of the Little Dipper star pattern. This asterism is fainter than the Big Dipper, and needs a dark sky to be seen.
The chart above shows the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and the star Polaris as you’ll see them in the north on July evenings. Polaris marks the end of the handle on the Little Dipper asterism, which is in the constellation Ursa Minor.
In other words, the Little Dipper is not the whole constellation. It’s just a noticeable pattern within the constellation Ursa Minor the Smaller Bear. That’s why it’s referred to as an asterism.
Still, Polaris is plenty bright enough to be seen with ease on a dark, clear night.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Eddie Little of North Carolina captured the stars circling around Polaris, the North Star, on January 2, 2025, and wrote: “I had a mostly cloudless, nearly moonless night on one of the longest nights of the year. Approximately 12 hours of shooting.” Thank you, Eddie! Polaris is the star around which the entire northern sky appears to turn.
Look between the Dippers to find Thuban
As night deepens, and the fainter stars of the Little Dipper spring into view, those of you with dark-enough skies can expect to see a winding stream of stars between the Big and Little Dippers. These meandering stars make up the constellation Draco the Dragon, a fixture of the northern skies.
One of the stars making up Draco’s tail is Thuban. It sits between the Big and Little Dippers, and is roughly in line with the point between the Little Dipper’s stars Pherkad and Kochab.
Thuban is famous for having served as a pole star around 3000 B.C. This date coincides with the beginning of the building of the pyramids in Egypt. It’s said that the descending passage of the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Gizeh was built to point directly at Thuban. So our ancestors knew and celebrated this star.
Thuban is part of Draco’s tail. And Eltanin and Rastaban mark the head of Draco the Dragon. You’ll find these stars in the northern sky. Chart via EarthSky.
Bottom line: Draw a line through the Big Dipper’s pointer stars to find Polaris, Earth’s northern pole star. And if your sky is dark, look for the former pole star Thuban.
This chart shows the orientation of the Big and Little Dippers on July evenings from the Northern Hemisphere. These constellations can help you find Polaris and Thuban, the present and former pole stars. Chart via EarthSky.
Tonight, use the Big Dipper asterism in the constellation Ursa Major to find the sky’s northern pole star, Polaris. Polaris is located nearly exactly above Earth’s northern axis, meaning the entire northern sky appears to turn around it.
Then once you find Polaris, you can also look for a famous former pole star: Thuban. Part of the constellation Draco the Dragon, Thuban was the northern pole star for the builders of the pyramids 5,000 years ago. See how to find Thuban and Polaris below.
Use the Big Dipper to find Polaris
To find Polaris, draw a line through the Big Dipper’s pointer stars Dubhe and Merak (see the chart above). That line will point to Polaris, our modern-day North Star. You can use this trick to find Polaris any evening, no matter how the Dipper is oriented with respect to your northern horizon.
Once you’ve got Polaris, you might be able to see that it’s part of the Little Dipper star pattern. This asterism is fainter than the Big Dipper, and needs a dark sky to be seen.
The chart above shows the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and the star Polaris as you’ll see them in the north on July evenings. Polaris marks the end of the handle on the Little Dipper asterism, which is in the constellation Ursa Minor.
In other words, the Little Dipper is not the whole constellation. It’s just a noticeable pattern within the constellation Ursa Minor the Smaller Bear. That’s why it’s referred to as an asterism.
Still, Polaris is plenty bright enough to be seen with ease on a dark, clear night.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Eddie Little of North Carolina captured the stars circling around Polaris, the North Star, on January 2, 2025, and wrote: “I had a mostly cloudless, nearly moonless night on one of the longest nights of the year. Approximately 12 hours of shooting.” Thank you, Eddie! Polaris is the star around which the entire northern sky appears to turn.
Look between the Dippers to find Thuban
As night deepens, and the fainter stars of the Little Dipper spring into view, those of you with dark-enough skies can expect to see a winding stream of stars between the Big and Little Dippers. These meandering stars make up the constellation Draco the Dragon, a fixture of the northern skies.
One of the stars making up Draco’s tail is Thuban. It sits between the Big and Little Dippers, and is roughly in line with the point between the Little Dipper’s stars Pherkad and Kochab.
Thuban is famous for having served as a pole star around 3000 B.C. This date coincides with the beginning of the building of the pyramids in Egypt. It’s said that the descending passage of the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Gizeh was built to point directly at Thuban. So our ancestors knew and celebrated this star.
Thuban is part of Draco’s tail. And Eltanin and Rastaban mark the head of Draco the Dragon. You’ll find these stars in the northern sky. Chart via EarthSky.
Bottom line: Draw a line through the Big Dipper’s pointer stars to find Polaris, Earth’s northern pole star. And if your sky is dark, look for the former pole star Thuban.
Reflect Orbital’s plans to have more than 50,000 satellites reflecting sunlight back to Earth could cause huge disruption to ecosystems and humans alike. But the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just given Reflect Orbital the go-ahead to test a giant space mirror in Earth-orbit. Image via Unsplash/ Mariana Proença.
The FCC has approved Reflect Orbital to test a satellite that reflects sunlight to Earth.
But the technology could be harmful for ecosystems, human health, aviation safety and astronomical observations.
Increasingly ambitious satellite projects – including massive constellations for AI data centers and space-based energy – are outpacing current regulatory oversight, and intensifying concerns about congestion around our planet.
The FCC approved the company Reflect Orbital to test one satellite, named Earendil-1, as a means of reflecting the sun’s rays back to Earth for extra solar energy and wide-area lighting. The light is expected to cover an area about 3.1 miles (5 km) wide, and will require repointing every four minutes.
And this is just the start. Reflect Orbital plans to have more than 50,000 satellites in action by 2035, which they claim will be used across agricultural, emergency response and other industrial sectors.
There are many problems with this proposal, including impacts these satellites will have on human health and safety, as well as on astronomy and the low-Earth environment.
Flashes during mirror repointing could disrupt pilots and drivers. The light could also disrupt circadian rhythms of plants, animals and humans. Sensitive detectors in research telescopes, as well as star-tracking cameras on lower altitude satellites, could be overloaded and fried.
The FCC said that the:
risks of harm raised on the record regarding Reflect Orbital’s solar reflector are unrelated to the Commission’s role in authorizing use of radiofrequency spectrum.
Reflect orbital brands itself as, ‘the sunlight company.’ Image via Reflect Orbital.
‘Weird space stuff’
Satellite proposals for “emergent space activities” in low-Earth orbit are becoming increasingly outlandish. The proposals have become so weird, in fact, that the FCC recently published a document called Spectrum Abundance for Weird Space Stuff.
The document states:
Once the province of science fiction, American companies are now upgrading, relocating and servicing satellites; manufacturing pharmaceuticals in space; building private inhabitable spacecraft; and conducting private robotic missions to the surface of the moon.
The phrase “weird space stuff” is refreshingly truthful. So, how did we get here?
SpaceX controls orbit
There are close to 11,000 SpaceX Starlink satellites currently in orbit above our heads. Anyone who wants to launch into low-Earth orbit needs to carefully consider SpaceX operations, or directly co-ordinate with them.
Otherwise they risk collisions, like the near-miss between a Starlink and Chinese satellite in December 2025.
Even the Artemis I launch in 2022 and Artemis II launch in 2026 had small cutout windows in their launch timing to avoid satellites, including those belonging to Starlink.
Coordination is good. Forcing it because one corporation has effectively occupied low-Earth orbit is not. Indeed, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which was signed by more than 100 countries including the United States, China and Russia, states that:
outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation.
Whether SpaceX’s extensive use of Earth orbits violates this principle is now being tested in real time.
Not only did the FCC accept SpaceX’s filing, but they did so at ludicrous speed. Scientists worldwide then had just 30 days to model the effects with woefully incomplete information on masses, sizes, compositions and orbital distributions.
At the time of writing, four other copycat AI data center proposals have been filed by rival companies, for tens of thousands of satellites each. And SpaceX just proposed another 100,000 satellites to interface with the million AI data centers that it already asked for.
Solar energy from space
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission was originally set up to regulate radio broadcasts. But it is now being asked to evaluate many non-radio effects, including orbital safety, which it may not have the required expertise for. It would make sense to move some of this evaluation to the U.S. Office of Space Commerce. However, recent budget cuts make that infeasible.
Consequently, the FCC will soon be asked to judge a daunting range of satellite proposals. They include a cluster of proposals to gather solar energy from space.
One idea is to send solar power down to Earth through high energy beams. These could change atmospheric chemistry and kill birds and other wildlife that stray into the beam.
They would also require no-fly zones around receiving stations for airplanes and also satellites on lower altitude orbits (such as the orbits SpaceX just requested for 100,000 more Starlink satellites).
Environmental costs
While many of these projects claim to solve environmental problems by creating clean energy or capturing it in space, they function as a form of greenwashing.
The solar energy generated is only clean if you ignore the environmental costs of building, launching, maintaining and burning satellites up in Earth’s atmosphere. The daily operations of all these proposed systems will have huge environmental consequences.
The goal of many ‘weird’ space projects is beaming the sun to Earth at night to power solar farms. Image via Unsplash/ Andreas Gucklhorn.
The majority of satellites in orbit today are American, and the main federal agency regulating satellites is not set up to do that well. We are now seeing the consequences.
While outer space is effectively infinite, low-Earth orbit most definitely is not. Satellites orbit the Earth around once every 90 minutes. This means the collision potential between two objects in orbit is large.
The many satellites and rocket bodies that have burned up in Earth’s atmosphere over the last few years have already measurably altered it. Preliminary studies show that using Earth’s atmosphere as a crematorium for tens of thousands of satellites will have devastating effects on ozone and other atmospheric chemistry.
We are not here to argue against satellites. Indeed, they provide a wide range of beneficial services to science and society. But each satellite comes with a cost that must be taken into account.
Ultimately, this is an innovation challenge. Unfettered growth and exploitation of any environment comes with serious consequences, including to the long-term sustainability of the operations that depend on that environment.
Doing more with less is the engineering challenge that needs to be met if we want to continue to use satellites in orbit.
Bottom line: The Federal Communications Commission has approved a test of a giant space mirror, despite fears that this could harm ecosystems, people and science.
Reflect Orbital’s plans to have more than 50,000 satellites reflecting sunlight back to Earth could cause huge disruption to ecosystems and humans alike. But the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just given Reflect Orbital the go-ahead to test a giant space mirror in Earth-orbit. Image via Unsplash/ Mariana Proença.
The FCC has approved Reflect Orbital to test a satellite that reflects sunlight to Earth.
But the technology could be harmful for ecosystems, human health, aviation safety and astronomical observations.
Increasingly ambitious satellite projects – including massive constellations for AI data centers and space-based energy – are outpacing current regulatory oversight, and intensifying concerns about congestion around our planet.
The FCC approved the company Reflect Orbital to test one satellite, named Earendil-1, as a means of reflecting the sun’s rays back to Earth for extra solar energy and wide-area lighting. The light is expected to cover an area about 3.1 miles (5 km) wide, and will require repointing every four minutes.
And this is just the start. Reflect Orbital plans to have more than 50,000 satellites in action by 2035, which they claim will be used across agricultural, emergency response and other industrial sectors.
There are many problems with this proposal, including impacts these satellites will have on human health and safety, as well as on astronomy and the low-Earth environment.
Flashes during mirror repointing could disrupt pilots and drivers. The light could also disrupt circadian rhythms of plants, animals and humans. Sensitive detectors in research telescopes, as well as star-tracking cameras on lower altitude satellites, could be overloaded and fried.
The FCC said that the:
risks of harm raised on the record regarding Reflect Orbital’s solar reflector are unrelated to the Commission’s role in authorizing use of radiofrequency spectrum.
Reflect orbital brands itself as, ‘the sunlight company.’ Image via Reflect Orbital.
‘Weird space stuff’
Satellite proposals for “emergent space activities” in low-Earth orbit are becoming increasingly outlandish. The proposals have become so weird, in fact, that the FCC recently published a document called Spectrum Abundance for Weird Space Stuff.
The document states:
Once the province of science fiction, American companies are now upgrading, relocating and servicing satellites; manufacturing pharmaceuticals in space; building private inhabitable spacecraft; and conducting private robotic missions to the surface of the moon.
The phrase “weird space stuff” is refreshingly truthful. So, how did we get here?
SpaceX controls orbit
There are close to 11,000 SpaceX Starlink satellites currently in orbit above our heads. Anyone who wants to launch into low-Earth orbit needs to carefully consider SpaceX operations, or directly co-ordinate with them.
Otherwise they risk collisions, like the near-miss between a Starlink and Chinese satellite in December 2025.
Even the Artemis I launch in 2022 and Artemis II launch in 2026 had small cutout windows in their launch timing to avoid satellites, including those belonging to Starlink.
Coordination is good. Forcing it because one corporation has effectively occupied low-Earth orbit is not. Indeed, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which was signed by more than 100 countries including the United States, China and Russia, states that:
outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation.
Whether SpaceX’s extensive use of Earth orbits violates this principle is now being tested in real time.
Not only did the FCC accept SpaceX’s filing, but they did so at ludicrous speed. Scientists worldwide then had just 30 days to model the effects with woefully incomplete information on masses, sizes, compositions and orbital distributions.
At the time of writing, four other copycat AI data center proposals have been filed by rival companies, for tens of thousands of satellites each. And SpaceX just proposed another 100,000 satellites to interface with the million AI data centers that it already asked for.
Solar energy from space
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission was originally set up to regulate radio broadcasts. But it is now being asked to evaluate many non-radio effects, including orbital safety, which it may not have the required expertise for. It would make sense to move some of this evaluation to the U.S. Office of Space Commerce. However, recent budget cuts make that infeasible.
Consequently, the FCC will soon be asked to judge a daunting range of satellite proposals. They include a cluster of proposals to gather solar energy from space.
One idea is to send solar power down to Earth through high energy beams. These could change atmospheric chemistry and kill birds and other wildlife that stray into the beam.
They would also require no-fly zones around receiving stations for airplanes and also satellites on lower altitude orbits (such as the orbits SpaceX just requested for 100,000 more Starlink satellites).
Environmental costs
While many of these projects claim to solve environmental problems by creating clean energy or capturing it in space, they function as a form of greenwashing.
The solar energy generated is only clean if you ignore the environmental costs of building, launching, maintaining and burning satellites up in Earth’s atmosphere. The daily operations of all these proposed systems will have huge environmental consequences.
The goal of many ‘weird’ space projects is beaming the sun to Earth at night to power solar farms. Image via Unsplash/ Andreas Gucklhorn.
The majority of satellites in orbit today are American, and the main federal agency regulating satellites is not set up to do that well. We are now seeing the consequences.
While outer space is effectively infinite, low-Earth orbit most definitely is not. Satellites orbit the Earth around once every 90 minutes. This means the collision potential between two objects in orbit is large.
The many satellites and rocket bodies that have burned up in Earth’s atmosphere over the last few years have already measurably altered it. Preliminary studies show that using Earth’s atmosphere as a crematorium for tens of thousands of satellites will have devastating effects on ozone and other atmospheric chemistry.
We are not here to argue against satellites. Indeed, they provide a wide range of beneficial services to science and society. But each satellite comes with a cost that must be taken into account.
Ultimately, this is an innovation challenge. Unfettered growth and exploitation of any environment comes with serious consequences, including to the long-term sustainability of the operations that depend on that environment.
Doing more with less is the engineering challenge that needs to be met if we want to continue to use satellites in orbit.
Bottom line: The Federal Communications Commission has approved a test of a giant space mirror, despite fears that this could harm ecosystems, people and science.
In this artist’s concept, the Hera mission scans the impact crater that DART left behind. Image via ESA.
Hera is ready for its asteroid rendezvous
In 2022, the groundbreaking DART mission struck and moved an asteroid. It was a test of Earth’s ability to defend itself from an incoming asteroid threat. On October 7, 2024, a follow-up mission – ESA’s Hera – launched toward the asteroid impact site on Dimorphos, a little moon of the asteroid Didymos. Now, Hera is now just a few months away from its November 2026 meeting with the asteroid pair. It will spend six months investigating the aftereffects from the impact.
So far in 2026, the Hera mission has undergone a deep-space maneuver to correct its course toward its target. And as of July 2026, it has just finished receiving an upgrade to its software. Hera is now about 8 light-minutes from Earth on its journey to the near-Earth asteroid.
When Hera reaches the asteroids, it will release two cubesats, Milani and Junventas. Milani is in charge of spectral surface observations (splitting light bounced off the asteroid into a rainbow array of colors, then analyzing that light). And Juventas will take the first radar soundings in the heart of an asteroid.
When DART hit Didymos
Back in 2022, when DART hit Didymos’s little moon Dimorphos, it made a big splash. We know for sure it pushed the asteroid slightly out of its previous orbit. And the debris kicked up in the collision might even have created a new meteor shower for Earth!
Hera is going to learn more about just what happened when DART struck the little asteroid, creating a crater on its surface and moving it slightly in orbit. It’s going to learn more about Dimorphos itself, to help refine our knowledge of what DART did … to keep us safe from future asteroid collisions.
This will be the first investigation of a binary asteroid. Hera’s focus will be on Dimorphos, the moonlet that DART impacted. According to ESA – the mission planner – Hera will conduct a “crime scene investigation” at the little asteroid moon. But Hera will also check out both Didymos and the dusty environs unleashed by the impact.
Hera will measure the density and composition of Dimorphos in detail and help scientists determine whether it is a ‘rubble pile’ loosely held together by gravity, or a solid core covered in boulders and gravel.
Hera will map the crater created by DART’s impact down to 10-cm resolution to help scientists better understand how the surface material responded to the collision. It’s possible that there is no crater at all, rather the impact reshaped the entire asteroid!
About 15% of known asteroids are actually binary systems, but their origins remain mysterious. Hera will determine whether Dimorphos and Didymos are made from the same material, which would hint that the rapidly spinning Didymos once threw off debris into space that later formed Dimorphos.
Hera project scientist Michael Küppers
Watch EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd speak with Hera project scientist Michael Küppers below. Get the latest here about keeping Earth safe from asteroids.
The Hera mission and a missing planet
Watch a video about the Hera mission to the asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos.
The Hera mission vs the Colosseum
The asteroid Didymos is about a half mile (780 meters) wide. So, that’s about the size of the Golden Gate Bridge. Its little companion, Dimorphos, is about 560 feet (170 meters) in diameter. And that’s about the size of the Great Pyramid. Or compare it to Italy’s Colosseum below.
This graphic compares the size of the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos to the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Image via ESA.
Bottom line: The Hera mission is on its way to the asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos. The DART mission struck Dimorphos as a planetary defense test in 2022. Hera should reach the asteroids in November 2026.
In this artist’s concept, the Hera mission scans the impact crater that DART left behind. Image via ESA.
Hera is ready for its asteroid rendezvous
In 2022, the groundbreaking DART mission struck and moved an asteroid. It was a test of Earth’s ability to defend itself from an incoming asteroid threat. On October 7, 2024, a follow-up mission – ESA’s Hera – launched toward the asteroid impact site on Dimorphos, a little moon of the asteroid Didymos. Now, Hera is now just a few months away from its November 2026 meeting with the asteroid pair. It will spend six months investigating the aftereffects from the impact.
So far in 2026, the Hera mission has undergone a deep-space maneuver to correct its course toward its target. And as of July 2026, it has just finished receiving an upgrade to its software. Hera is now about 8 light-minutes from Earth on its journey to the near-Earth asteroid.
When Hera reaches the asteroids, it will release two cubesats, Milani and Junventas. Milani is in charge of spectral surface observations (splitting light bounced off the asteroid into a rainbow array of colors, then analyzing that light). And Juventas will take the first radar soundings in the heart of an asteroid.
When DART hit Didymos
Back in 2022, when DART hit Didymos’s little moon Dimorphos, it made a big splash. We know for sure it pushed the asteroid slightly out of its previous orbit. And the debris kicked up in the collision might even have created a new meteor shower for Earth!
Hera is going to learn more about just what happened when DART struck the little asteroid, creating a crater on its surface and moving it slightly in orbit. It’s going to learn more about Dimorphos itself, to help refine our knowledge of what DART did … to keep us safe from future asteroid collisions.
This will be the first investigation of a binary asteroid. Hera’s focus will be on Dimorphos, the moonlet that DART impacted. According to ESA – the mission planner – Hera will conduct a “crime scene investigation” at the little asteroid moon. But Hera will also check out both Didymos and the dusty environs unleashed by the impact.
Hera will measure the density and composition of Dimorphos in detail and help scientists determine whether it is a ‘rubble pile’ loosely held together by gravity, or a solid core covered in boulders and gravel.
Hera will map the crater created by DART’s impact down to 10-cm resolution to help scientists better understand how the surface material responded to the collision. It’s possible that there is no crater at all, rather the impact reshaped the entire asteroid!
About 15% of known asteroids are actually binary systems, but their origins remain mysterious. Hera will determine whether Dimorphos and Didymos are made from the same material, which would hint that the rapidly spinning Didymos once threw off debris into space that later formed Dimorphos.
Hera project scientist Michael Küppers
Watch EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd speak with Hera project scientist Michael Küppers below. Get the latest here about keeping Earth safe from asteroids.
The Hera mission and a missing planet
Watch a video about the Hera mission to the asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos.
The Hera mission vs the Colosseum
The asteroid Didymos is about a half mile (780 meters) wide. So, that’s about the size of the Golden Gate Bridge. Its little companion, Dimorphos, is about 560 feet (170 meters) in diameter. And that’s about the size of the Great Pyramid. Or compare it to Italy’s Colosseum below.
This graphic compares the size of the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos to the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Image via ESA.
Bottom line: The Hera mission is on its way to the asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos. The DART mission struck Dimorphos as a planetary defense test in 2022. Hera should reach the asteroids in November 2026.
The bright star Deneb is part of the famous Summer Triangle asterism. Its constellation, Cygnus the Swan, flies across the sky on a northern summer evening sky. Chart via EarthSky.
Deneb or Alpha Cygni is the northernmost star in the famous Summer Triangle. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, this asterism is a prominent star pattern in the east on July and August evenings. Three bright stars make up the Summer Triangle. They are the brightest stars in three separate constellations. Deneb’s constellation is Cygnus the Swan. In a dark sky, you can imagine the Swan, flying along the starlit trail of the summer Milky Way. The constellation Cygnus also makes an obvious cross shape, and that’s another asterism. That is, it’s another prominent star pattern. It’s called the Northern Cross.
Okay, we’ve given you a lot of names here: Summer Triangle, Cygnus and Northern Cross.
Just remember, the constellation Cygnus the Swan contains the asterism of the Northern Cross. The Cross is just another way to see the Swan. Deneb is at the top of the Cross, but at the tail of the Swan (the star name “deneb” always means “tail”). The little star Albireo is at the head of the Swan, but at the base of the Cross. Whew!
The constellation Cygnus represents a graceful swan. But many also see it as a cross, and so these stars have become known as the Northern Cross. It especially resembles a cross when it is standing upright on the horizon on December evenings. So Deneb marks the Tail of Cygnus the Swan and the head of the cross-like pattern known as the Northern Cross. Chart via EarthSky.
How to see Deneb from the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere skywatchers can gaze at this faraway star in the evening starting around May, which is late spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
Like all stars, Deneb is found about one degree farther west at the same time each day, and climbs to its highest point about four minutes earlier per day, 1/2 hour earlier per week, or two hours earlier per month.
Deneb is circumpolar as seen from locations of about 45 degrees north latitude, roughly the northern tier of U.S. states. In other words, from the northern U.S. and similar latitudes, Deneb never sets but instead circles round and round the pole star.
From the Southern Hemisphere, the Summer Triangle appears flipped upside down and rises low into the northern sky. And, for many at populated latitudes across the Southern Hemisphere, Deneb is close to or below the northern horizon rendering the triangle incomplete for many observers. If you are closer to the South Pole than about 45 degrees south latitude, you won’t see Deneb. So that includes Antarctica, far southern Argentina and Chile, and perhaps the far southern tip of New Zealand’s South Island.
So we in the Southern Hemisphere don’t tend to recognize the Summer Triangle as it is seen in the north, and even if we do, it’s only visible, briefly, during our winter season. So the name Summer Triangle is somewhat lost on us. But the sight of Vega and Altair rising to the northeast are a clear sign of winter in the southern hemisphere.
Will you see Deneb at all from the Southern Hemisphere? It’s not easy. For example:
Sydney, Australia (approx. 34° S): Deneb reaches a maximum altitude of about 11° above the northern horizon.
Auckland, New Zealand (approx. 37° S): Deneb reaches a maximum altitude of about 8° above the northern horizon.
Christchurch, New Zealand (approx. 43.5° S): Deneb reaches a maximum altitude of about 1° above the northern horizon. You probably won’t see it from Christchurch!
So mighty Deneb isn’t easy to catch from the far-southern Southern Hemisphere. But, when you do see it, think of the power of this mighty star shining over such a great distance in space!
Looking north from the Southern Hemisphere. Assuming you’re at about 40 degrees south latitude – to the equator – you can see all of the so-called Summer Triangle during your southern winter months by looking north. If you’re closer to the South Pole than about 40 degrees south latitude, you likely won’t see Deneb! Technically you can see it from slightly farther south. But, in reality, the murk on your northern horizon will likely block it from your view. Chart via EarthSky.
Very far away, and very luminous
The star Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan is one of the most distant stars you’ll ever see with your eye alone. That’s because it’s one of our Milky Way galaxy’s most luminous stars.
Deneb is somewhere around 1,500 light-years away. That’s in contrast to most visible stars in our sky, located tens to hundreds of light-years away.
But astronomers still aren’t certain of the exact distance for this very luminous star. There are varying estimates for its distance. Why?
For some decades, ESA’s Earth-orbiting Hipparcos satellite, which operated from 1989 to 1993, provided the most important distance measurement for Deneb. Hipparcos was the predecessor to the Gaia space observatory. Gaia recently ended its mission of collecting data, with a primary goal of creating a 3D map of our Milky Way galaxy.
Both Hipparcos and Gaia gathered what’s called astrometric data on the stars. That is, they measured stars’ positions, motions and brightnesses not just once, but again and again. Those measurements let earthly astronomers calculate a distance, see how the star is moving, and much more.
Early analyses of Hipparcos data indicated a distance around 2,600 light-years for Deneb. Then, in 2009, a newer study – which used more powerful analysis techniques on Hipparcos data – gave a distance for Deneb that’s about half the widely accepted value, closer to 1,500 light-years.
Today, that value – around 1,500 light-years – is the most widely accepted value for Deneb’s distance.
Astronomers use the parallax method to find distances to nearby stars. But Deneb is too far away for accurate parallax measurements from Earth’s surface. Image via NASA/ ESA/ A. Feild (STScI).
When will we know the distance to Deneb?
Gaia has released three sets of data. Why haven’t Gaia’s newer measurements let astronomers measure Deneb’s distance more precisely? It’s mainly because Gaia isn’t geared toward observing such a bright star as Deneb. Astronomer Anthony G.A. Brown of Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands – a member of the Gaia team – told EarthSky in July 2021 that Gaia data still haven’t been used to determine a new distance for Deneb. He said:
The Hipparcos distance estimate still stands.
Deneb is so bright that we can only observe it with Gaia through specially programmed observation sequences (the observing instruments on the spacecraft do not automatically pick up the star). We have observations of
Deneb in hand but these will require a dedicated processing which we have not yet started.
So, for now, the updated Hipparcos number of approximately 1,500 light-years is still the best estimate of Deneb’s distance.
And that’s impressive. So, for us to see a star shine so brightly in our sky from this great distance away, the star must be very powerful. Deneb is one of the most luminous stars – one of the brightest stars, intrinsically – that we can see with the eye.
Deneb (bottom half of frame) is somewhere around 200 times wider in diameter than our sun. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Science of Deneb
Deneb is a blue-white supergiant star with a spectral class of A2Ia. It is the 19th brightest star in the sky shining at +1.25 magnitude. It’s about 196,000 times more luminous than our sun. Deneb contains about 20 solar masses, and as mentioned above, its distance is uncertain. Deneb has a diameter about 203 times that of the sun. And that makes Deneb one of the largest type A spectral class stars known.
Deneb is the prototype for the Alpha Cygni variable stars. Its brightness varies due to non-radial fluctuations on the surface of the star. The fluctuations originate from areas on the surface of the star either expanding and contracting at the same time. They can last for days to weeks and their origin is unknown. The change in brightness is minimal, but detectable. For example, Deneb varies in brightness from magnitude 1.21 to 1.29. Another Alpha Cygni variable star is Rigel, in the constellation of Orion the Hunter.
Deneb was once a spectral class O-type main sequence star with a mass about 23 times that of the sun. Now that it’s a supergiant, it’s no longer fusing hydrogen in its core. It will evolve into a very luminous red supergiant or possibly a highly luminous blue variable star or maybe a Wolf-Rayet star. Regardless of which type of star it becomes, it’s expected to explode as a supernova sometime in the next few million years.
The name Deneb derives from the Arabic Al Dhanab al Dajajah meaning Tail of the Hen. It obviously dates from an earlier incarnation of Cygnus not as a swan but as a chicken. Like many bright stars, Deneb has been called by a number of other names, but the oddest, according to Richard Hinckley Allen, who cites the Arabic name above, was Uropygium, meaning the posterior part of a bird’s body from which feathers grow, and oddly sometimes called the “Pope’s nose.”
In Chinese mythology Deneb is associated with the story of the Celestial Princess or the Weaver Girl. In this story a girl (the star Vega) is separated from her beloved (a cowherd represented by the star Altair) by the Milky Way. Once a year, the girl and the cowherd are allowed to meet briefly when a large flock of magpies forms a bridge across the starry river. Deneb represents the bridge.
The constellation Lacerta the Lizard lies just behind the tail feathers of Cygnus the Swan. The chart also shows Lyra the Harp and Vulpecula the Fox. This star chart is from Urania’s Mirror, a set of celestial cards by Sidney Hall published in 1825. Image via Wikipedia.
Deneb’s position is RA: 20h 41m 26s, dec: +45° 16′ 49″.
Bottom line: Read here about the luminous Summer Triangle star Deneb, and learn how to see it in your sky.
The bright star Deneb is part of the famous Summer Triangle asterism. Its constellation, Cygnus the Swan, flies across the sky on a northern summer evening sky. Chart via EarthSky.
Deneb or Alpha Cygni is the northernmost star in the famous Summer Triangle. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, this asterism is a prominent star pattern in the east on July and August evenings. Three bright stars make up the Summer Triangle. They are the brightest stars in three separate constellations. Deneb’s constellation is Cygnus the Swan. In a dark sky, you can imagine the Swan, flying along the starlit trail of the summer Milky Way. The constellation Cygnus also makes an obvious cross shape, and that’s another asterism. That is, it’s another prominent star pattern. It’s called the Northern Cross.
Okay, we’ve given you a lot of names here: Summer Triangle, Cygnus and Northern Cross.
Just remember, the constellation Cygnus the Swan contains the asterism of the Northern Cross. The Cross is just another way to see the Swan. Deneb is at the top of the Cross, but at the tail of the Swan (the star name “deneb” always means “tail”). The little star Albireo is at the head of the Swan, but at the base of the Cross. Whew!
The constellation Cygnus represents a graceful swan. But many also see it as a cross, and so these stars have become known as the Northern Cross. It especially resembles a cross when it is standing upright on the horizon on December evenings. So Deneb marks the Tail of Cygnus the Swan and the head of the cross-like pattern known as the Northern Cross. Chart via EarthSky.
How to see Deneb from the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere skywatchers can gaze at this faraway star in the evening starting around May, which is late spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
Like all stars, Deneb is found about one degree farther west at the same time each day, and climbs to its highest point about four minutes earlier per day, 1/2 hour earlier per week, or two hours earlier per month.
Deneb is circumpolar as seen from locations of about 45 degrees north latitude, roughly the northern tier of U.S. states. In other words, from the northern U.S. and similar latitudes, Deneb never sets but instead circles round and round the pole star.
From the Southern Hemisphere, the Summer Triangle appears flipped upside down and rises low into the northern sky. And, for many at populated latitudes across the Southern Hemisphere, Deneb is close to or below the northern horizon rendering the triangle incomplete for many observers. If you are closer to the South Pole than about 45 degrees south latitude, you won’t see Deneb. So that includes Antarctica, far southern Argentina and Chile, and perhaps the far southern tip of New Zealand’s South Island.
So we in the Southern Hemisphere don’t tend to recognize the Summer Triangle as it is seen in the north, and even if we do, it’s only visible, briefly, during our winter season. So the name Summer Triangle is somewhat lost on us. But the sight of Vega and Altair rising to the northeast are a clear sign of winter in the southern hemisphere.
Will you see Deneb at all from the Southern Hemisphere? It’s not easy. For example:
Sydney, Australia (approx. 34° S): Deneb reaches a maximum altitude of about 11° above the northern horizon.
Auckland, New Zealand (approx. 37° S): Deneb reaches a maximum altitude of about 8° above the northern horizon.
Christchurch, New Zealand (approx. 43.5° S): Deneb reaches a maximum altitude of about 1° above the northern horizon. You probably won’t see it from Christchurch!
So mighty Deneb isn’t easy to catch from the far-southern Southern Hemisphere. But, when you do see it, think of the power of this mighty star shining over such a great distance in space!
Looking north from the Southern Hemisphere. Assuming you’re at about 40 degrees south latitude – to the equator – you can see all of the so-called Summer Triangle during your southern winter months by looking north. If you’re closer to the South Pole than about 40 degrees south latitude, you likely won’t see Deneb! Technically you can see it from slightly farther south. But, in reality, the murk on your northern horizon will likely block it from your view. Chart via EarthSky.
Very far away, and very luminous
The star Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan is one of the most distant stars you’ll ever see with your eye alone. That’s because it’s one of our Milky Way galaxy’s most luminous stars.
Deneb is somewhere around 1,500 light-years away. That’s in contrast to most visible stars in our sky, located tens to hundreds of light-years away.
But astronomers still aren’t certain of the exact distance for this very luminous star. There are varying estimates for its distance. Why?
For some decades, ESA’s Earth-orbiting Hipparcos satellite, which operated from 1989 to 1993, provided the most important distance measurement for Deneb. Hipparcos was the predecessor to the Gaia space observatory. Gaia recently ended its mission of collecting data, with a primary goal of creating a 3D map of our Milky Way galaxy.
Both Hipparcos and Gaia gathered what’s called astrometric data on the stars. That is, they measured stars’ positions, motions and brightnesses not just once, but again and again. Those measurements let earthly astronomers calculate a distance, see how the star is moving, and much more.
Early analyses of Hipparcos data indicated a distance around 2,600 light-years for Deneb. Then, in 2009, a newer study – which used more powerful analysis techniques on Hipparcos data – gave a distance for Deneb that’s about half the widely accepted value, closer to 1,500 light-years.
Today, that value – around 1,500 light-years – is the most widely accepted value for Deneb’s distance.
Astronomers use the parallax method to find distances to nearby stars. But Deneb is too far away for accurate parallax measurements from Earth’s surface. Image via NASA/ ESA/ A. Feild (STScI).
When will we know the distance to Deneb?
Gaia has released three sets of data. Why haven’t Gaia’s newer measurements let astronomers measure Deneb’s distance more precisely? It’s mainly because Gaia isn’t geared toward observing such a bright star as Deneb. Astronomer Anthony G.A. Brown of Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands – a member of the Gaia team – told EarthSky in July 2021 that Gaia data still haven’t been used to determine a new distance for Deneb. He said:
The Hipparcos distance estimate still stands.
Deneb is so bright that we can only observe it with Gaia through specially programmed observation sequences (the observing instruments on the spacecraft do not automatically pick up the star). We have observations of
Deneb in hand but these will require a dedicated processing which we have not yet started.
So, for now, the updated Hipparcos number of approximately 1,500 light-years is still the best estimate of Deneb’s distance.
And that’s impressive. So, for us to see a star shine so brightly in our sky from this great distance away, the star must be very powerful. Deneb is one of the most luminous stars – one of the brightest stars, intrinsically – that we can see with the eye.
Deneb (bottom half of frame) is somewhere around 200 times wider in diameter than our sun. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Science of Deneb
Deneb is a blue-white supergiant star with a spectral class of A2Ia. It is the 19th brightest star in the sky shining at +1.25 magnitude. It’s about 196,000 times more luminous than our sun. Deneb contains about 20 solar masses, and as mentioned above, its distance is uncertain. Deneb has a diameter about 203 times that of the sun. And that makes Deneb one of the largest type A spectral class stars known.
Deneb is the prototype for the Alpha Cygni variable stars. Its brightness varies due to non-radial fluctuations on the surface of the star. The fluctuations originate from areas on the surface of the star either expanding and contracting at the same time. They can last for days to weeks and their origin is unknown. The change in brightness is minimal, but detectable. For example, Deneb varies in brightness from magnitude 1.21 to 1.29. Another Alpha Cygni variable star is Rigel, in the constellation of Orion the Hunter.
Deneb was once a spectral class O-type main sequence star with a mass about 23 times that of the sun. Now that it’s a supergiant, it’s no longer fusing hydrogen in its core. It will evolve into a very luminous red supergiant or possibly a highly luminous blue variable star or maybe a Wolf-Rayet star. Regardless of which type of star it becomes, it’s expected to explode as a supernova sometime in the next few million years.
The name Deneb derives from the Arabic Al Dhanab al Dajajah meaning Tail of the Hen. It obviously dates from an earlier incarnation of Cygnus not as a swan but as a chicken. Like many bright stars, Deneb has been called by a number of other names, but the oddest, according to Richard Hinckley Allen, who cites the Arabic name above, was Uropygium, meaning the posterior part of a bird’s body from which feathers grow, and oddly sometimes called the “Pope’s nose.”
In Chinese mythology Deneb is associated with the story of the Celestial Princess or the Weaver Girl. In this story a girl (the star Vega) is separated from her beloved (a cowherd represented by the star Altair) by the Milky Way. Once a year, the girl and the cowherd are allowed to meet briefly when a large flock of magpies forms a bridge across the starry river. Deneb represents the bridge.
The constellation Lacerta the Lizard lies just behind the tail feathers of Cygnus the Swan. The chart also shows Lyra the Harp and Vulpecula the Fox. This star chart is from Urania’s Mirror, a set of celestial cards by Sidney Hall published in 1825. Image via Wikipedia.
Deneb’s position is RA: 20h 41m 26s, dec: +45° 16′ 49″.
Bottom line: Read here about the luminous Summer Triangle star Deneb, and learn how to see it in your sky.
The giraffe weevil is one of nature’s strangest insects. With its oversized neck, unusual battles and ingenious nests, this tiny Madagascan beetle is full of surprises. Image via Magnusforsberg/ iNaturalist.
If someone asks you to name an animal with a long neck, chances are you’ll say “giraffe.” But if you want to impress your friends at trivia night, there’s another answer worth remembering: the giraffe weevil.
It doesn’t live on the African savanna, nor does it stand several feet tall. In fact, the giraffe weevil is small enough to comfortably fit on the tip of your finger. Yet this insect possesses an extraordinarily long neck, disproportionate enough to rival the giraffe itself.
Males use their elongated necks to fight rivals and compete for mates. Females, whose necks are much shorter, make up for it with a natural talent for building curious cradles out of rolled leaves.
These tiny insects live in Madagascar. Few places on Earth harbor as many biological oddities as the Great Red Island!
Red, black and elegant
This insect stands out thanks to its vivid colors and long neck. Image via Azph/ iNaturalist.
Unlike many beetles with stout, heavy bodies, the giraffe weevil has a surprisingly slender silhouette. Its long legs allow it to move easily among branches and leaves, and they are equipped with small protrusions that help it cling to vegetation.
Although the neck is the first thing that catches the eye, it is far from the only feature that makes the giraffe weevil difficult to forget. Its body combines a glossy black coloration with striking red elytra, or their hardened wing covers.
Up close, its appearance becomes even more unusual. At the end of its elongated neck sits a small head equipped with prominent dark eyes and a pair of antennae that constantly probe the surrounding environment. Unlike the bent antennae typical of many weevils, these are relatively straight and end in a small sensory structure specialized in detecting odors and other chemical signals in the environment — an essential ability for navigation and finding mates.
Unlike the bent antennae common to most weevils, these are relatively straight, with specialized tips that help it perceive scents and other chemical signals. Image via Loarie/ iNaturalist.
Much more than a long neck
Few body structures are as exaggerated as the neck of the giraffe weevil. In males, it can be several times longer than in females. And this difference is no accident. As in many species, the two sexes have followed different evolutionary paths to meet their respective challenges.
The neck plays a crucial role during the breeding season. When several males compete for a female, they may engage in combat using this structure as a kind of weapon. Rivals wrestle on branches, attempting to unbalance one another until one eventually gains the upper hand.
This phenomenon is known as sexual selection. Much like the antlers of deer, the giraffe weevil’s neck evolved because it provides reproductive advantages to those that possess a more developed version of it.
The giraffe weevil poses no threat to humans. It has no stinger, does not bite and is completely harmless. Its elongated neck may look intimidating, but it plays no role in defending against people or other large animals.
The giraffe weevil also has wings and small protrusions on its legs, which allow it to fly and cling to branches and leaves. Image via Greg Lasley/ iNaturalist.
The art of turning a leaf into a cradle
If the neck is the giraffe weevil’s most famous feature, its reproductive behavior is probably its most fascinating.
After mating, the female carefully selects a suitable leaf. Just any leaf won’t do. It must have the right size, shape and strength for the task she is about to undertake. Then begins a process that seems more fitting for a skilled craftsperson than for an insect.
Using her legs and the aid of her specialized anatomy, the leaf is gradually folded and rolled into a compact tubular structure. Inside it, the female lays a single egg and continues working until she completes a perfectly protected plant capsule. Once construction is finished, the leaf often detaches and falls to the forest floor.
What makes this so ingenious is that the tiny cradle serves several functions at once. It protects the egg from numerous predators, maintains relatively stable conditions for development and also contains the future larva’s first source of food.
Few insect species display such elaborate behavior when caring for the next generation.
This is a female giraffe weevil. Females have a shorter neck but a huge talent for building cradles to lay their eggs inside! Image via Aimee_11/ iNaturalist.
Born inside a pantry
The giraffe weevil’s story does not end once the egg is safely enclosed within the rolled leaf. After some time, a small larva emerges and finds itself surrounded by food from the very first moment of its life. The leaf that forms its shelter also serves as its first meal.
As it grows, the larva slowly consumes the plant tissue around it. In doing so, it obtains the energy needed to complete the various stages of its development.
Eventually, the time for metamorphosis arrives. Like other beetles, it passes through a pupal stage during which its body undergoes a profound transformation.
At last, the adult emerges, equipped with all the characteristics that have made this species one of the most distinctive insects in the world.
The cradles the females create not only provide shelter, but also serve as food for the larvae after the eggs hatch. Eventually, the larvae develop into the red and black insects we know. Image via Marcopogon/ iNaturalist.
An exclusive resident of the Great Red Island
The giraffe weevil lives only in Madagascar, a vast island off the eastern coast of Africa.
This geographic isolation has turned Madagascar into one of the planet’s greatest hotspots of unique evolution. For millions of years, many species evolved there independently, giving rise to animals found nowhere else on Earth.
Lemurs, impossibly shaped chameleons, bizarre insects and unique plants all form part of this extraordinary biological heritage.
The giraffe weevil is one of these endemic species. Its distribution is limited to certain forested regions of the island, where it depends on specific plants for both food and reproduction.
Much of its life unfolds among branches and leaves. There it finds shelter, food and the materials needed to build the structures in which its offspring will develop.
The giraffe weevil is found only in Madagascar. Isolated from the mainland for millions of years, the island became a cradle of unique evolution, giving rise to extraordinary species found nowhere else on Earth. Image via Treklightly/ iNaturalist.
What does the future hold for the giraffe weevil?
The giraffe weevil remains a relatively understudied insect. Scientists do not have as much information about its populations as they do for many mammals or birds. But that does not mean it is free from threats.
Like many of Madagascar’s endemic species, its greatest challenge is habitat loss. Deforestation, agricultural expansion and other human activities are steadily reducing the natural areas on which it depends.
When a species lives exclusively in a single region of the world, any change to that environment can have significant consequences.
And yet, despite measuring only a few inches in length, the giraffe weevil has become one of the most remarkable and instantly recognizable creatures in the natural world.
Although its elongated neck and unusual shape may seem intimidating, the giraffe weevil is tiny and completely harmless to humans and other animals. Small in size but extraordinary in design, it is one of Madagascar’s most remarkable evolutionary creations. Image via Heinonlein/ Wikimedia Commons.
Bottom line: The giraffe weevil is a tiny Madagascan beetle with a super-long neck, leaf-rolling skills and a fantastic evolutionary story.
The giraffe weevil is one of nature’s strangest insects. With its oversized neck, unusual battles and ingenious nests, this tiny Madagascan beetle is full of surprises. Image via Magnusforsberg/ iNaturalist.
If someone asks you to name an animal with a long neck, chances are you’ll say “giraffe.” But if you want to impress your friends at trivia night, there’s another answer worth remembering: the giraffe weevil.
It doesn’t live on the African savanna, nor does it stand several feet tall. In fact, the giraffe weevil is small enough to comfortably fit on the tip of your finger. Yet this insect possesses an extraordinarily long neck, disproportionate enough to rival the giraffe itself.
Males use their elongated necks to fight rivals and compete for mates. Females, whose necks are much shorter, make up for it with a natural talent for building curious cradles out of rolled leaves.
These tiny insects live in Madagascar. Few places on Earth harbor as many biological oddities as the Great Red Island!
Red, black and elegant
This insect stands out thanks to its vivid colors and long neck. Image via Azph/ iNaturalist.
Unlike many beetles with stout, heavy bodies, the giraffe weevil has a surprisingly slender silhouette. Its long legs allow it to move easily among branches and leaves, and they are equipped with small protrusions that help it cling to vegetation.
Although the neck is the first thing that catches the eye, it is far from the only feature that makes the giraffe weevil difficult to forget. Its body combines a glossy black coloration with striking red elytra, or their hardened wing covers.
Up close, its appearance becomes even more unusual. At the end of its elongated neck sits a small head equipped with prominent dark eyes and a pair of antennae that constantly probe the surrounding environment. Unlike the bent antennae typical of many weevils, these are relatively straight and end in a small sensory structure specialized in detecting odors and other chemical signals in the environment — an essential ability for navigation and finding mates.
Unlike the bent antennae common to most weevils, these are relatively straight, with specialized tips that help it perceive scents and other chemical signals. Image via Loarie/ iNaturalist.
Much more than a long neck
Few body structures are as exaggerated as the neck of the giraffe weevil. In males, it can be several times longer than in females. And this difference is no accident. As in many species, the two sexes have followed different evolutionary paths to meet their respective challenges.
The neck plays a crucial role during the breeding season. When several males compete for a female, they may engage in combat using this structure as a kind of weapon. Rivals wrestle on branches, attempting to unbalance one another until one eventually gains the upper hand.
This phenomenon is known as sexual selection. Much like the antlers of deer, the giraffe weevil’s neck evolved because it provides reproductive advantages to those that possess a more developed version of it.
The giraffe weevil poses no threat to humans. It has no stinger, does not bite and is completely harmless. Its elongated neck may look intimidating, but it plays no role in defending against people or other large animals.
The giraffe weevil also has wings and small protrusions on its legs, which allow it to fly and cling to branches and leaves. Image via Greg Lasley/ iNaturalist.
The art of turning a leaf into a cradle
If the neck is the giraffe weevil’s most famous feature, its reproductive behavior is probably its most fascinating.
After mating, the female carefully selects a suitable leaf. Just any leaf won’t do. It must have the right size, shape and strength for the task she is about to undertake. Then begins a process that seems more fitting for a skilled craftsperson than for an insect.
Using her legs and the aid of her specialized anatomy, the leaf is gradually folded and rolled into a compact tubular structure. Inside it, the female lays a single egg and continues working until she completes a perfectly protected plant capsule. Once construction is finished, the leaf often detaches and falls to the forest floor.
What makes this so ingenious is that the tiny cradle serves several functions at once. It protects the egg from numerous predators, maintains relatively stable conditions for development and also contains the future larva’s first source of food.
Few insect species display such elaborate behavior when caring for the next generation.
This is a female giraffe weevil. Females have a shorter neck but a huge talent for building cradles to lay their eggs inside! Image via Aimee_11/ iNaturalist.
Born inside a pantry
The giraffe weevil’s story does not end once the egg is safely enclosed within the rolled leaf. After some time, a small larva emerges and finds itself surrounded by food from the very first moment of its life. The leaf that forms its shelter also serves as its first meal.
As it grows, the larva slowly consumes the plant tissue around it. In doing so, it obtains the energy needed to complete the various stages of its development.
Eventually, the time for metamorphosis arrives. Like other beetles, it passes through a pupal stage during which its body undergoes a profound transformation.
At last, the adult emerges, equipped with all the characteristics that have made this species one of the most distinctive insects in the world.
The cradles the females create not only provide shelter, but also serve as food for the larvae after the eggs hatch. Eventually, the larvae develop into the red and black insects we know. Image via Marcopogon/ iNaturalist.
An exclusive resident of the Great Red Island
The giraffe weevil lives only in Madagascar, a vast island off the eastern coast of Africa.
This geographic isolation has turned Madagascar into one of the planet’s greatest hotspots of unique evolution. For millions of years, many species evolved there independently, giving rise to animals found nowhere else on Earth.
Lemurs, impossibly shaped chameleons, bizarre insects and unique plants all form part of this extraordinary biological heritage.
The giraffe weevil is one of these endemic species. Its distribution is limited to certain forested regions of the island, where it depends on specific plants for both food and reproduction.
Much of its life unfolds among branches and leaves. There it finds shelter, food and the materials needed to build the structures in which its offspring will develop.
The giraffe weevil is found only in Madagascar. Isolated from the mainland for millions of years, the island became a cradle of unique evolution, giving rise to extraordinary species found nowhere else on Earth. Image via Treklightly/ iNaturalist.
What does the future hold for the giraffe weevil?
The giraffe weevil remains a relatively understudied insect. Scientists do not have as much information about its populations as they do for many mammals or birds. But that does not mean it is free from threats.
Like many of Madagascar’s endemic species, its greatest challenge is habitat loss. Deforestation, agricultural expansion and other human activities are steadily reducing the natural areas on which it depends.
When a species lives exclusively in a single region of the world, any change to that environment can have significant consequences.
And yet, despite measuring only a few inches in length, the giraffe weevil has become one of the most remarkable and instantly recognizable creatures in the natural world.
Although its elongated neck and unusual shape may seem intimidating, the giraffe weevil is tiny and completely harmless to humans and other animals. Small in size but extraordinary in design, it is one of Madagascar’s most remarkable evolutionary creations. Image via Heinonlein/ Wikimedia Commons.
Bottom line: The giraffe weevil is a tiny Madagascan beetle with a super-long neck, leaf-rolling skills and a fantastic evolutionary story.
