https://www.nps.gov/jeff/blogs/ RSS Feed for Recent Blog Posts Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:35:16 GMT https://www.nps.gov/jeff/blogs/april-2026-sister-act.htm To me, the skies of April have a sisterly theme. It starts with Venus, the brilliant starlike object fairly low in the western sky in the early evening. Venus is often termed Earth’s sister planet because it is nearly the same size as Earth and is most often the closest planet to us, although that title is sometimes held by Mercury or Mars. Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.nps.gov/jeff/blogs/april-2026-sister-act.htm https://www.nps.gov/jeff/blogs/february-2026-6-7-planets.htm Might the viral “6-7" meme refer to a February sky event where six planets—Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter—are visible after sunset? Earth could be counted as the seventh. Best viewing for this event is Feb 15–24 with binoculars or a small telescope. Jupiter is easiest; Neptune hardest. Gateway to the Stars programs resume May 23 with monthly events through October. Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT https://www.nps.gov/jeff/blogs/february-2026-6-7-planets.htm