SUNSET: 
Surprise! Dwarf Planet Haumea Has a Ring
When the distant dwarf planet Haumea briefly slipped in front of a star last January, astronomers found more than they expected.
Busy Skies Ahead: Comets, a Supernova, and a Dramatic Regulus Occultation
What's your pleasure when it comes to observing? Comets? Supernovae? Occultations? Get a sample of each and more in the upcoming week.
Ancient Moon Had Atmosphere Made of Volcano Smoke
Roughly 3.5 billion years ago huge volcanoes released enough gas to cover the Moon with a thin atmosphere that was visible from Earth.
Asteroid 2012 TC4 To Zip Past Earth This Week
The close pass of near-Earth asteroid 2012 TC4 this week will give NASA a chance to test planetary-defense coordination.
When a Star and a Binary Meet
What happens in the extreme environments of globular clusters when a star and a binary system meet? A team of scientists has new ideas about how these objects can deform, change their paths, spiral around each other, and merge.
Orbital Path Podcast: Journey to the Sun
Nicki Viall, a heliophysicist at Goddard Space Flight Center, shares her excitement over the Parker Solar Probe — the spacecraft that will allow scientists to "touch" the Sun.
Venus and Mars Kiss at Dawn
Be sure to set the alarm so you don't miss the squeaky-tight conjunction of Venus and Mars Thursday morning. They'll stay close through the weekend.
Sputnik 1: Celebrating 60 Years of Spaceflight
The launch of Sputnik 1, Earth's first artificial satellite, paved the way for Moonwalking astronauts, robotic exploration of the planets, and space tourism.
2017 Nobel Goes to Gravitational Waves
Three American physicists have received the Nobel Prize in physics for their contributions to the discovery of gravitational waves.
Neptune's Moon Triton to Occult Star
Here’s an opportunity for amateurs to help improve our understanding of Neptune’s moon Triton.
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?
James Webb Space Telescope Launch Delayed til 2019
The long-awaited James Webb Space Telescope — the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope — has slipped its launch date by several months. It will now launch between March and June 2019.
Is There a Difference Between Starving and Feasting Black Holes?
A few decades ago, astronomers thought they had figured out how quasars operate. Now, a new study has thrown a wrench in the works.
Hawai'i Gives Go-Ahead to Thirty Meter Telescope
After protests and a judge's ruling brought the colossal Thirty Meter Telescope project to a halt, a state panel has cleared the way for its construction atop Mauna Kea to proceed.
First Black Holes Maybe Had Supersonic Help
Gas flows in the early universe may have kept clouds from collapsing too soon, enabling them to grow into massive black hole seeds.
Some Damage to Arecibo Observatory; Stormy Times Ahead
Arecibo and its team rode out the largest storm in its history, but it's unclear what the moderate damage will mean for the radio observatory's future.
Fourth Gravitational Wave Event Detected
Teaming up with LIGO, Europe’s Virgo detector has bagged its first gravitational waves. The three-observatory detection enabled scientists to better pinpoint the merging black holes’ location.
Osiris-REX Images Earth During Flyby
The asteroid-bound Osiris-REX mission took time during last Friday's gravity assist maneuver to look back at its homeworld.
Iconic Radio Telescope Begins 7-year Search for New Objects
A new survey promises the most complete map of radio-emitting celestial sources ever made. It will reveal thousands of new objects after seven years of observation.
Puffed-Up Hot Jupiter Is Surprisingly Dark
Researchers have found that a football-shaped, ultra-hot gas giant that’s being devoured by its host star is also one of the least reflective exoplanets ever found.
