SUNSET: 
Oddball Stars in the Milky Way's Heart
The first blue stragglers identified in the Milky Way’s bulge pose a question: why do they look so young?
Video: Remarkable Explosion on the Sun
After three years of minimal activity, the Sun has come alive. This video of a 3-hour eruption earlier today beats anything you've seen.
A Milky Way Masterpiece
Using a deceptively simple setup, Randy Halverson has captured the galaxy's motion across his South Dakota farm with breathtaking beauty and realism.
Amateur Science on the Rise
Robert Naeye comments on his experience at the annual SAS symposium, held at Big Bear Lake, California.
Interactive Sky Chart is Available Again
Our popular Interactive Sky Chart is available again.
Supernova Erupts in Whirlpool Galaxy
Supernova 2011dh in M51 seems just past its peak at around magnitude 12.7. With the Moon now gone from the evening sky, the next clear nights are your best chance. It should be visible through an 8-inch telescope in any but the worst skies.
When Galaxies Collide
Images from the Spitzer Space Telescope and GALEX make it possible for scientists to imagine what the Milky Way-Andromeda crash might look like five billion years from now.
The Milky Way’s Fraternal Twin
The face-on spiral galaxy NGC 6744 has long been touted as the Milky Way’s twin. But, though a close match, these two star systems are not exactly identical.
Tour June's Sky! | May 31st, 2011
Saturn stands nearly motionless in Virgo all month, as other zodiacal constellations parade to its left and right on these early summer evenings.
Uranus and Neptune in 2012
Uranus and Neptune are easy to find with the aid of the charts in this article.
Uranus and Neptune in 2011
Uranus and Neptune are easy to find with the aid of the charts in this article.
An Epitaph for Rover Spirit (2004-2010)
The lead scientist for the panoramic cameras on the Martian rover Spirit reflects on the life and death of one of the most important spacecraft ever launched.
More Ado about the Cas A Supernova
Legend has it that a bright noon star graced the birth of the 17th century British Monarch Charles II. Could it have been a daytime glimpse of the Cas A supernova?
Kepler's Exoplanets: A Progress Report
The Kepler exoplanet-hunting mission got top press-conference billing at the American Astronomical Society convention in Boston. But some reporters left wanting more.
The Milky Way's New Arm
Astronomers have struggled for decades to discern our galaxy's true shape. But they're slowly getting the picture, thanks to the discovery of a long arm that traces the grand spiral to its outer limits.
Closeup of a Black-Hole Powerhouse
Come along with radio astronomers as they zoom in on the powerful, high-energy jets of Centaurus A and the supermassive black hole at its heart.
Dissecting Saturn's Big Storm
Scientists have combined images from Cassini and big telescopic eyes in Chile to understand Saturn's massive storm in ways never before possible.
Ceres and Vesta in 2011
The two brightest asteroids are in fine view for binoculars or a telescope. Here are instructions and charts to find them.
Do Planets Outnumber Stars?
Just-released observations suggest that the Milky Way could teem with hundreds of billions of free-floating planets.
Ceres and Vesta: July 2012 - April 2013
The two brightest asteroids are close to each other in late 2012 and early 2013. Moreover, they're traversing one of the most interesting areas in the night sky.
