SUNSET: 
The Starlink Situation
Shots of the Starlink satellite train crossing the heavens are dramatic — even shocking — but they’re also a bit misleading. The real problems that Starlink and other megaconstellation satellites pose are more insidious.
New Horizons Flyby Target Receives Official Name: Arrokoth
When NASA's New Horizons flew by a distant Kuiper Belt Object on New Year's Day, they nicknamed it "Ultima Thule." Now, the object has received an official moniker: Arrokoth.
The (Almost) Re-Opening of the Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory, a historic, castle-like building built to house a gigantic telescope, may soon reopen if all goes according to plan.
Nobel Prize Honors Exoplanets, Big Bang Discoveries
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to James Peebles and to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz. The prize, which will be split in half, honors discoveries that have offered new perspectives on our place in the universe.
Maunakea Observatories Shuttered Amid Protests (Update: Observatories Have Reopened)
As protests against the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope continue, the directors of Maunakea Observatories have taken the unprecedented move of closing all observatories atop the mountain.
Live from the Moon: How Earth Saw the First Steps of Apollo 11
Neil Armstrong's and Buzz Aldrin's first steps on the Moon changed the world. But that the world would see them wasn't a given.
Amateur Filmmaker Captured Solar Eclipse — in 1900
In 1900, a man named John Nevil Maskelyne filmed a solar eclipse — the first of its kind.
Teens Hunt for Meteorites . . . Underwater
Students and a sled named Starfall are on the hunt for underwater meteorites, dropped as a bolide fragmented over Lake Michigan last year.
We Don’t Really Know When the Sun Rises
Hundreds of sunrise and sunset times reveal that there’s something amiss with our calculations.
Daylight-Saving Time? Bah, Humbug!
Still controversial, the annual switch to daylight saving time is annoying to backyard astronomers — and probably doesn't save any energy after all.
Official Names Approved for 86 More Stars
The International Astronomical Union has given its official approval for 86 star names, following up on last year's announcement of 227 official star names.
Eye Damage Reported from August's Eclipse
For a young woman who stared too long on August 21st, the partially eclipsed Sun left a lasting impression — on her retinas.
The Lost LED Revolution: Light Pollution Is Increasing
The transition from sodium lights to LEDs, the so-called “lighting revolution”, was supposed to reduce energy consumption and bring back the starry sky, but new satellite data indicate it’s not working out that way.
Millions of Americans Viewed August Solar Eclipse
The 2017 solar eclipse could easily be the most watched event in US history. Can we learn something from it?
Eclipse Aftermath Brings Lawsuit Against Amazon
Counterfeit eclipse glasses created great confusion in the days prior to the solar eclipse. Luckily few cases of eye damage have been reported.
The Eclipse as Seen by Citizen Scientists
Some academic and citizen-science groups came up with neat initiatives for eclipse day. Let’s find out how they did.
The Strolling Astronomer Celebrates 70 Years
Still active today, the Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers and its journal got their start on March 1, 1947.
Micrometeorites Found on City Rooftops
A recent study found micrometeorites in piles of dirt collected from urban European rooftops.
Get Funds for 2017 Eclipse Outreach Projects
Thanks to some timely NSF support, the American Astronomical Society is offering dozens of small grants to U.S. groups that offer outreach programs tied to the 2017 s
The Year 2016 Will Be One Second Longer
Do you think 2016 has seemed unusually long? An international agency has decided to make it even longer.
