Preparing for the last space shuttle launch, an upcoming lecture by DCist's very own space correspondent, a win for a local planetarium and rockets in the D.C. sky are all in this week's Look Up. more ›

Good morning, space fans. I know it's been awhile since we posted a Look Up column (every winter, space takes a backseat to photography, as you know), but we have a few good bits for you today. Read on for once-in-a-lifetime launch viewing opportunities, how the Japan earthquake permanently altered the Earth, and some debunked space myths. more ›

Washington, D.C. native Alvin Drew was the sixth and last astronaut strapped in a few minutes ago aboard the space shuttle Discovery at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is Drew's second shuttle mission, his first since STS-118 in 2007. more ›

Hello again, space readers. Look Up is back from a short hiatus while your DCist Space Editor was out in the field. Let's start with some events in D.C. before we get to the main course. more ›

As if you need us to tell you, there's not a whole lot to look up to see this week unless you want to get slapped around by snowflakes. In the meantime, those of you who still have power and internet can at least do a little remote viewing. more ›

We were tempted to recycle last week's column for this week's, but instead we'll just give you a link and say: Geminids! They peak tonight! Of course it's rainy and gross outside, so the potential of actually seeing any has gotten much, much slimmer, but you can still follow along and see some great photos at #Meteorwatch (like this nice one). It's also supposed to be a little clearer tomorrow night, just one day off the peak. If you happen to be somewhere where the weather is better, you should see meteors enter the atmosphere at a rate of 1 to 2 per minute from 10 p.m. to dawn, so get a thermos of cocoa, a warm jacket, and enjoy the show. more ›

No really, look up! Those are the Leonids streaking through the sky (they began on November 10). This meteor shower often gives one of the best shows of the year, on rare occasions being so spectacular that it surpasses being just a shower and becomes a "meteor storm," with over 1000 meteors per hour. We won't get quite that amazing a sight this year, but the debris from comet Tempel-Tuttle should still send about 500 pieces an hour through the atmosphere -- and with the peak arriving on Tuesday night and a barely visible waxing Moon to darken the sky, the Leonids will still be an astronomical show worth staying outside in the cold for (perhaps with your camera?). more ›