Fall Astronomy Week Sep 18, 2023

Fall Astronomy Week

The Milky Way has billions of stars; among them, our own sun finds its place. The galaxy"s name is derived from the radiant, pale appearance of the band of stars and gas clouds that graces Earth"s sky. Methodical observations of the night sky started with early civilizations but astronomy, the oldest natural science, remains a source of fascination today. It"s what brings stargazers to Portugal"s Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, a site free from heavy light pollution. Now"s a good time to seek out your own celestial spectacle, as it is Astronomy Week and the main event, Saturday"s Fall Astronomy Day, this year coincides with the autumnal equinox.

© Daniel Garrido/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Sep 18, 2018A red knot on the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Sep 18, 2019Celebrating Chile’s Independence Day
Sep 18, 2020Homeward bound
Sep 18, 2021Hanging out on a limb
Sep 18, 2022World Bamboo Day
Sep 18, 2024Gujō Hachiman Castle, Gifu prefecture, Japan
Sep 18, 2025Dunquin Pier, County Kerry, Ireland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
Mar 15, 2026Pacific Rim Whale Festival
Jan 3, 2026J.R.R. Tolkien Day
Apr 26, 2025Redwood National and State Parks, California
Jun 12, 2022Big Bend National Park turns 78
Nov 1, 2020Native American Heritage Month
Oct 20, 2025International Sloth Day
Sep 30, 2019Wheels up in Beijing
Jul 4, 2026The United States 250th anniversary
Jan 18, 2019An opulent backdrop for a historic event
Apr 19, 2022Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia
Mar 11, 2018Daylight saving time begins
Mar 12, 2021Ringing in the new year at Teotihuacan
May 8, 2020Victory in Europe, 75 years ago
Nov 9, 2019We heart Berlin
May 2, 2020Morocco in bloom
Jan 9, 2018Great Fountain Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Jun 20, 2021Happy Father s Day
Dec 28, 202350 years of the Endangered Species Act
Dec 30, 2021Westerheversand Lighthouse
May 31, 2018Leaves of Grass
Feb 22, 2019A rest stop for the birds
Jun 18, 2023Happy Fathers Day!
May 11, 2026Great Barrier Reef from above, Queensland, Australia
Aug 3, 2025Blooming sunflowers
Jun 18, 2025Pollinator Week
Aug 31, 2021Bridge over the River Tara
Aug 20, 2019Lakeside serenity in Finland
Sep 8, 2023International Literacy Day
May 7, 2026Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona