SUNSET: 
Great Red Spot Shrinking
Observations by amateur astronomers confirm that Jupiter's gargantuan storm is still tightening its waistline.
Fermi Detects Cosmic Fog
An international team has used the disappearance of high-energy photons to narrow in on the origin of the light suffusing the cosmos.
Tour November's Sky! | November 1st, 2012
Mars is very low in the west after sunset, and Jupiter rises a couple hours later. But most of the planetary action is in the eastern sky before dawn.
Stray Stars Might Solve Infrared Puzzle
A new study suggests that lonesome stars in galaxies’ farthest outskirts contribute to a mysterious, blotchy glow that permeates the sky.
Saturn’s Frankenstorm: The Aftermath
Though Saturn’s Great White Spot faded by the end of 2011, infrared telescopes have revealed the storm's long-lasting impact.
Fomalhaut b: An Exoplanet Redeemed
New analysis suggests that Fomalhaut b — an exoplanet discovered in 2008 and disputed ever since — really does exist.
The Flares from Milky Way’s Black Hole
Our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole emits regular, mysterious X-ray flares. For the first time, NASA’s newest sharp-eyed telescope has captured a high-energy view of the action.
Beads on a Galaxy-Scale String
A new image from the Australia Telescope Compact Array shows a series of brilliant knots along the jet shooting from a supermassive black hole. While not the first sighting of a string of pearls gracing a galaxy's jet, the new image is a striking look at a mysterious phenomenon.
Auroras Grace Stellar Skies
Stunning auroras play in Earth's upper atmosphere, and similar cascading curtains grace the skies of giant planets, brown dwarfs — and even small stars.
News From Across the Solar System
From new models of the Moon's formation to planets forming around distant stars, nearly 800 planetary scientists had plenty of new results to present this week when they met in Reno, Nevada.
October Meteors Slow and Fast
As Earth wheels through the October portion of its orbit around the Sun, it passes through two reliable annual meteoroid streams: one fast, one slow, both long-lasting.
Revisiting Orion's Stellar Membership
The Orion Nebula hosts a well studied star cluster, the gold standard by which astronomers measure all other clusters. New research suggests that this benchmark might need to be revised.
A Problem with Pluto's Moons
The discovery of two tiny moons circling the most famous "dwarf planet" has raised concerns that the New Horizons spacecraft might be endangered when it flies by in July 2015.
Planet Found in Alpha Centauri System
Astronomers announced what might be the closest exoplanet to Earth, a roasted Earth-mass world whipping around the Sun-like star Alpha Centauri B.
Set Your Crescent-Moon Record?
A thin young crescent Moon will be visible from North America this evening, Tuesday October 16th, weather and eyesight permitting. It may be a chance to set your young-Moon record.
Freshest Mars Rock has Hints of Water
An international team of scientists has teased apart the secrets hidden inside a meteorite from Mars, including signs that the rock weathered acidic water while on the Red Planet.
Star Draws Spiral
ALMA observations have revealed a spiral buried inside a shell surrounding the star R Sculptoris. While not the first of its kind discovered, the spiral does show that the star is hiding something.
Meteor Storm Brewing for 2014?
Dynamicists know for certain that on May 24, 2014, Earth will plow through a dense stream of dust particles shed by the periodic comet 209P/LINEAR. The only question is: how intense will the assault be?
World-Class Telescope For Sale
The impending closure of the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope might be averted if the observatory’s director can find a buyer.
Draconid Meteor Outburst: Lots of Radar Meteors, Few Visual
Radar started showing up to 2,200 Draconid meteors per hour as of midday Monday for North America, but by nightfall here it was basically over. Even in darkness in Europe, few were seen by eye.
