SUNSET: 
Were the Very First Stars Really That Massive?
New research suggests the first stars weren't the behemoths we expected them to be — which might explain why we haven't seen them yet.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 8 – 17
Set an alarm and take a peek east in early dawn to follow Venus and Jupiter through their spectacular conjunction this week.
Alpha Centauri Might Have a Planet, Webb Telescope Finds
Direct images from the James Webb Space Telescope show what could be a Saturn-mass planet around Alpha Centauri.
Southern Splendors on Safari
Sky & Telescope Associate Editor Sean Walker and Contributing Editor Stephen James O’Meara accompanied nine adventurers on a stargazing safari for an immersive experience in the African bush in Botswana.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 1 – 10
The waxing gibbous Moon of August haunts the low south. Venus and Jupiter are drawing toward a spectacular conjunction in early dawn.
August Podcast: Planets Dance at Dawn
Find out “what’s up” in the August sky. We’ll track down four planets before dawn; have some fun with New Moons; peek at some Perseids; and gaze at the center of our galaxy. So load up on the bug juice, and come along on this month’s Sky Tour.
Satellite Constellations Are Too Bright for Astronomy
The International Astronomical Union has recommended brightness limits for satellites, but companies aren't abiding by them.
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: What We Know Now
Observations have revealed the comet’s fuzzy coma, hinted at a weird tail, and suggested an ancient history. Plus, some missions might keep observing the interstellar comet when it ducks behind the Sun.
Congress’s NASA and NSF Budgets Counter Trump, Fund Science
The House and Senate bill drafts keep NASA near current funding levels, but the Trump administration is prematurely readying the agency for heavy cuts
Betelgeuse's Companion Has Been Found — Or Has It?
A new image from the Gemini Observatory might show a stellar companion to Betelgeuse, but the discovery is tentative.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 25 – August 3
The newly waxing Moon passes Mars low in the west, then Spica and Antares while growing more robust. At dawn, Jupiter heads toward Venus.
NASA Launches TRACERS Mission to Study Space Weather
NASA’s TRACERS spacecraft will look at the snap of magnetic field lines at the boundary between the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field.
Webb Space Telescope Spies Baby Planetary System
Astronomers have found a baby system that’s just beginning to build planets — and it can tell us about how and where planet formation starts.
Thumbs Up for the Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower
Meteor-watchers will be busy this month and next. Not only are the Southern Delta Aquariids peaking soon, but they get a boost from additional minor showers.
Some Planets Are Bigger Than We Thought
More than 200 planets in the TESS catalogs may be bigger than originally estimated — putting initially Earth-size planets into the super-Earth category.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 18 – 27
The waning crescent Moon joins Venus and Jupiter at dawn. In the dark of night, the Guardians of the Pole are no such things, except they are. And thereby hangs a tale. . .
A Candidate Direct-Collapse Black Hole in the Infinity Galaxy
Researchers have discovered a rare ring-galaxy duo that appears to harbor a supermassive black hole formed through direct collapse
New Black Hole Merger Breaks Record
Gravitational-wave astronomers have detected the collision of two beefy black holes, which created the most massive merger-made black hole found thus far.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 11 – 19
In early dawn on Saturday the 12th, Taurus uses Venus to open his very rare, strikingly brilliant second eye. In the following days the eye slips out of place.
Exotic Fast Radio Burst Goes Up in Smoke
Finding out where on the sky these mysterious radio flashes come from is hard. The team behind the discovery of one odd signal has now retracted their claim.
