Jamie Carter

Jamie Carter

Contributing Writer

Jamie is an experienced science, technology and travel journalist and stargazer who writes about exploring the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moon-gazing, astro-travel, astronomy and space exploration. He is the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners, and is a senior contributor at Forbes. His special skill is turning tech-babble into plain English.

Latest articles by Jamie Carter

An amateur astronomer using binoculars to look at the stars

Stargazing with Binoculars: Beginner Tips

By Jamie Carter last updated

Revolutionize your perspective of the universe with binoculars to take you on a cosmic voyage through space.

Astronomy Kit
graphic with night sky in large font and silhouettes of people below looking up at the night sky.

Night sky for tonight: Visible planets, stars and more in this evening's sky

By Jamie Carter last updated

Find out what you can see in the night sky for tonight, from planets and stars to dazzling meteor showers.

Stargazing
several statues line up beneath a partly cloudy sky

Why I'm going to Easter Island for the 'ring of fire' annular solar eclipse

By Jamie Carter published

The world's most remote island, where moai stand and stare at the stars, will experience an annular solar eclipse on Oct. 2, 2024. For one eclipse-chaser, it's unmissable.

Eclipses
The best star projectors grouped in front of a starry backdrop

Best star projectors 2024: From night lights to home planetariums

By Jamie Carter last updated

Buying Guide We've rounded up the best star projectors including home planetariums, ambient lights and educational tools to set you enjoy the night sky from the comfort of your couch.

Buying Guide
Image shows the rear cameras on one of the best camera phones Samsung camera phones

Best camera phone 2024: Smartphones that can capture the stars

By Jamie Carter last updated

Buying guide We've rounded up the best camera phones including flagship models from Apple, Samsung and Google.

Buying guide
Little girl has a shocked expression while using one of the best binoculars for kids with a foliage backdrop

Best binoculars for kids 2024: Small and lightweight binos for younger users

By Jamie Carter last updated

Buying Guide The best binoculars for kids provide closer views and are designed to be convenient for smaller hands and faces.

Buying Guide
One of the best star trackers for astrophotography, the Star Adventurer Mini Composited in front of a starry sky landscape

Best star trackers for astrophotography 2024

By Jamie Carter last updated

Buying Guide We've rounded up the best star trackers, an indispensable tool that tracks the Earth's rotation so you can shoot beautiful photos of the night sky.

Buying Guide
Image shows a woman using one of the best monocular devices

Best monocular 2024: Spot the top models on the market

By Jamie Carter last updated

Buying Guide The best monocular devices on the market offer a lightweight, portable alternative to binoculars for nature-watching or observing the stars.

Buying Guide
Product photo of the Kase Wolverine Natural Night Light Pollution Filter one of the best light pollution filters

Best light pollution filters for astrophotography 2024

By Jamie Carter last updated

Buying Guide Our picks of the best light pollution filters for astrophotography will reduce skyglow and unattractive color casts, making your images as vibrant as possible.

Buying Guide
colorful waves of light in the sky above a mountain range

A particularly active 'aurora season' could be just weeks away

By Jamie Carter published

September could be a prime time to see vibrant auroras, thanks to a quirk of Earth's tilt that leads to more intense geomagnetic activity around the equinox.

Aurora Borealis
A series of images showing the annular ring of fire solar eclipse progress. The moon looks like it is taking a bigger and bigger bite out of the sun until it covers it, but not completely, leaving a ring of orange around it.

Annular solar eclipse 2024: Everything you need to know about the next solar eclipse

By Jamie Carter last updated

Reference The next solar eclipse will be an annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2024. The 'ring of fire' will be visible across the Pacific Ocean and South America.

Reference
top places to see annular solar eclipse 2024 gif animation scrolling through different places in a circle frame within an annular solar eclipse image

16 best places to see the annular 'ring of fire' solar eclipse 2024

By Jamie Carter last updated

Explore the top 16 places to witness the breathtaking annular 'ring of fire' solar eclipse on Oct. 2, 2024. Plan an unforgettable eclipse experience with these expert recommendations.

Eclipses
one moai statue in the foreground has beams of sunlight radiating from behind and there is a row of moai statues in the background.

Where can I see the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 2, 2024?

By Jamie Carter last updated

The path of annularity on Oct. 2, 2024, passes through the Pacific Ocean and South America. View detailed maps of where the eclipse will be visible here.

Eclipses
sunrise at scoresby sund shows a large rocky mountain outcrop bathed in golden light.

Where can I see the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026?

By Jamie Carter published

The total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, will pass over parts of Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and Spain.

Eclipses
Nikon Trailblazer outside in the hands of the reviewer

Nikon Trailblazer 8x25 ATB compact binoculars review

By Jamie Carter published

Review Pocket-sized and portable, the Nikon Trailblazer 8x25 ATB waterproof binoculars are perfect for hiking and traveling.

Review
Lens filters laid on an orange and blue paper decorated table

Best neutral density filters in 2024

By Jamie Carter last updated

Buying Guide The best neutral density filters adjust the light transmitted into your camera, allowing for better nighttime photography.

Buying Guide
A man with a lantern next to his camping tent is watching the Perseids meteor shower under a great century-old pine tree. Starry sky panorama with The Perseid meteor shower in a agricultural field. Milky Way on the background

See brilliant Venus, exquisite Earthshine and the Perseid meteor shower peak this week

By Jamie Carter published

Here's how to see a dazzlingly bright Venus, an eerie view of Earthshine and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, this week.

Stargazing
man looks down on the night view of the city at the top of the mountain

See the moon meet Mars, follow the Arc to Arcturus and keep your eyes peeled for meteors and more this week

By Jamie Carter published

Discover your night sky this week, July 29 — Aug. 4, 2024, using just your naked eyes, no equipment necessary.

Stargazing
Saturn with six of it's moons hanging in space.

See the moon and Saturn meet up in the night sky tonight

By Jamie Carter published

Look east before midnight on July 23 and 24 to see a waning gibbous moon close to the ringed planet.

Stargazing
two people sitting down and looking at the night sky with the naked eye, the person on the right is pointing up at the stars.

See the moon meet Saturn, watch for shooting stars and find the Northern Crown this week

By Jamie Carter last updated

Check out these stargazing targets that you can see with the naked eye this week (July 22 to July 28), from planetary meet-ups to meteor showers and more!

Stargazing
silhouettes of two children looking up at the night sky

Look up! See the Perseid meteor shower, Full Thunder Moon and more this week

By Jamie Carter published

Discover your night sky this week, July 15-21, 2024, using just your naked eyes.

Stargazing
the sun sets between two buildings at the end of a busy city street

How, when and where to see 2024's second 'Manhattanhenge' this week

By Jamie Carter published

New Yorkers can view 2024's third and fourth "Manhattanhenge" moments at sunset on two nights this weekend.

Stargazing
Total solar eclipse over the Grand Tetons as seen from the Teton Valley in Idaho, near Driggs. This is from a 700-frame time-lapse and is of third contact just as the second diamond ring is starting and the dark shadow of the Moon is receding to the east at left. The sky is darker to the left but the foregound is beginning to light up as the sky to the west off camera to the right brightens and lights the scene. Jupiter is just above the Tetons at bottom.

10 tips for planning your 2026 solar eclipse trip

By Jamie Carter published

Check out these 10 top tips for planning your eclipse experience to make sure you get the most out of the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026.

Eclipses
Sigüenza is a city in the Serranía de Guadalajara comarca. The large stone building at sunset with two trees framing the upper corners of the image.

16 best places to see the 2026 total solar eclipse

By Jamie Carter published

Here are 16 of the best places to see the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026. The eclipse will be visible from remote Russian Siberia to eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain.

Eclipses
The iconic Earthrise image from the astronauts of NASA's Apollo 8 mission taken on Dec. 24, 1968.

Space photo of the week: 'Earthrise,' the Christmas Eve image that changed the world

By Jamie Carter published

Snapped from lunar orbit in 1968 by NASA astronaut Bill Anders, who died this week at age 90, 'Earthrise' is perhaps the most iconic image of our planet ever taken.

Earth
123456Archives