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July 16, 2026Radio: Today’s Episode
Dark-Matter Stars
The odd influence of dark matter.
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Radio: Yesterday’s Episode
Sagittarius A*
Competition for a black hole.
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Stargazing
Moon and Companions
The Evening Star and the heart of the lion are close to the crescent Moon in early evening. The lion’s heart, the star Regulus, is almost touching the Moon. Much brighter Venus, the Evening Star, is farther to the upper left of the Moon.
Zubeneschamali
Libra, the balance scales, is in the southwest this evening, to the upper right of the celestial scorpion. Libra’s brightest star represents one of the scorpion’s claws. It is called Zubeneschamali, from an Arabic name meaning “the northern claw.”
New Moon
The Moon is new today at 4:43 a.m. CDT. The new Moon occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, so it is too close to the Sun to observe. It will return to view tomorrow evening as a thin crescent quite low in the sky during twilight.
Moon Phases
At the new Moon phase, the Moon is so close to the Sun in the sky that none of the side facing Earth is illuminated (position 1 in illustration). In other words, the Moon is between Earth and Sun. At first quarter, the half-lit Moon is highest in the sky at sunset, then sets about six hours later (3). At full Moon, the Moon is behind Earth in space with respect to the Sun. As the Sun sets, the Moon rises with the side that faces Earth fully exposed to sunlight (5).
Today’s Sponsor
Stardate Magazine
Current Issue: JULY/AUGUST 2026
From Canals to Poppy Seeds and Leopard Spots
by Damond Benningfield
Twin Viking landers touched down on Mars 50 years ago, and one of their experiments found evidence of life, which was quickly discounted. But the debate continues, and we’ll review the Viking findings along with other claims of possible life on the Red Planet. We’ll also tell you how planetariums are adapting to the ages of the Internet and social media.
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Star Teachers
Stars and Galaxies
Galaxies contain billions of stars. Do galaxies collide? Do the stars within them collide?