SUNSET: 
What to See with Your New Telescope During 2017 Holidays
Maybe you just got a shiny new telescope to call your own. Congratulations — you could be on your way to discovering many amazing, far, deep things in the night sky. Although most of them are so far and faint that just locating and detecting them is the challenge! Whether…
Neutron-star Smashup Might Have Choked Its Own Jet
LIGO’s neutron-star smashup might not have been a typical short gamma-ray burst. If true, the detection points toward a new class of gamma-ray bursts — but the jury is still out.
Two Finalists for NASA's New Frontiers
NASA has selected two finalists for consideration as the next New Frontiers mission: a comet sample return and a flying drone for Titan.
60-Second Astronomy News: Dec. 20, 2017
This week's roundup of astro news brings us a polar-orbiting planet, a novel way to measure stellar masses, and ginormous convective bubbles on a distant star.
`Oumuamua: Red, Tumbling, and Silent
Astronomers' recent observations of our first-known interstellar visitor reveal that it is very strange indeed.
Explore The Southern Sky with SkyMapper
A new telescope called the SkyMapper has charted stars and galaxies across the southern sky, producing a map called "the best ever created."
Neural Network Finds 8-Planet System
Scientists have applied a brand of artificial intelligence to data from the exoplanet-hunting Kepler satellite, resulting in the discovery of the first eight-planet system outside our own.
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.
AGU 2017: News from the Solar System
Here's a quick look at results announced at the 2017 American Geophysical Union meeting in New Orleans: exploding meteoroids, Saturn's ring-atmosphere connection, and more bright spots on Ceres.
Does New Horizons’ Target Have a Moon? (Update: Nope)
New analysis from the New Horizons team suggest that the spacecraft's next target in the Kuiper Belt might have a third companion.
What's the Thinnest Crescent Moon You Can See?
A slender Moon is an beautiful and inspiring sight. December and January offer several opportunities to see these exceptional crescents.
Juno Probes Depths of the Great Red Spot
NASA’s Juno spacecraft peeked under the clouds of the most iconic weather feature in the solar system, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, revealing a complex structure deep below the surface.
Which of Kepler’s Stars Flare?
The habitability of distant exoplanets is dependent upon many factors — one of which is the activity of their host stars. To learn about which stars are most likely to flare, a recent study examines tens of thousands of stellar flares observed by Kepler. Need for a Broader Sample Most…
Fantastic Year for Geminid Meteor Shower
Mark the date: December 13th. That's the night the Geminid meteor shower peaks. Highlighted by the return of its parent asteroid 3200 Phaethon, this year's show promises to be one of the best ever.
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.
Stars Map Dark Matter in Dwarf Galaxy
A combo of Hubble and Gaia data reveal the distribution of dark matter in a tiny galaxy by tracking the galaxy’s stars.
Most Distant Black Hole Yet
Astronomers have discovered a supermassive black hole scarfing down gas just 690 million years after the Big Bang.
Voyager 1 Fires Dormant Thrusters
NASA engineers directed the historic spacecraft Voyager 1 to fire its backup thrusters for the first time in 37 years.
Infant Stars Huddle near Black Hole
A team of astronomers has found signs of small stars forming within a few light-years of the Milky Way’s central black hole.
Why is Earth Magnetized and Venus Not?
A new analysis reveals that the gigantic impact that led to the Moon's formation might have also switched on Earth's magnetic field.
