SUNSET: 
It's Geminid Time!
What many skywatchers consider the year's richest and most reliable meteor shower peaks this year on the morning of December 14th.
Japan's Akatsuki Goes AWOL
A spacecraft that was supposed to slip into orbit around Venus for a two-year study of its atmosphere has instead flown right by — and won't be back for another 7 years.
Revival on Jupiter Continues
The King of Planets was missing one of its signature dark belts last February, but it's gradually returning to view.
Starry, Starry, Starry Night
Two astronomers report that small, dim red-dwarf stars are far more abundant in elliptical galaxies than thought — so much so that the total number of stars in the universe is likely three times higher than previous estimates.
Tour December's Sky! | November 30th, 2010
One of the grand tales of celestial mythology is playing out overhead during December evenings. Host: S&T's Kelly Beatty. (6.5MB MP3 download: running time: 7m 00s)
A Steamy Super-Earth?
For the first time, astronomers have detected the atmosphere of an exoplanet that is not a gas giant.
Troubles Surface for Webb Telescope
Astronomers expect the James Webb Space Telescope to show them amazing things, such as the first galaxies forming. But getting this revolutionary spacecraft to the launch pad is going to cost a lot more and take a year longer than expected.
January Digital Edition Available
The digital edition of the January 2011 S&T is now available.
Comet Hartley 2: Full of Surprises
During a brief flyby just two weeks ago, NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft revealed never-before-seen details about dynamic Comet Hartley 2 that have left mission scientists elated — and confused.
Brian G. Marsden (1937-2010)
The astronomer known worldwide for his orbital computations, his tenure as the IAU's "cosmic cop" for new discoveries, and his role in the "demotion" of Pluto has passed away at age 73.
Planet from Another Galaxy
Astronomers have found a planet orbiting a very ancient, high-velocity, former red giant star that came from beyond the Milky Way.
Tribute to a Pioneering Cosmologist
The astronomical world is mourning the passing of Allan Sandage, whose decades of observations refined our understanding of the breadth and depth of the visible universe.
Hayabusa Brings Home Asteroid Dust
It's a fairy-tale ending to an against-all-odds story: Japanese scientists have identified bits of asteroid dust inside the sample canister of a spacecraft that, somehow, made it back to Earth seven years after launch.
Why is the Milky Way Blowing Bubbles?
Using gamma-ray eyes on NASA's Fermi spacecraft, astronomers now see that our home galaxy sports a matched pair of enormous and recently formed bubbles. It's a mystery how and why they formed.
Jupiter's Lost Belt Reviving?
A sudden bright storm has erupted in the latitude of Jupiter's South Equatorial Belt. It's expected to be the first of a series of rapid changes in the days ahead, leading to a reappearance of the missing dark belt.
Create Great Images, Win Cool Stuff!
Are you up for a challenge? Work some computer magic on images obtained with the ESO telescopes, and you might win an all-expenses-paid trip to the Very Large Telescope in Chile.
December Digital Edition Available
The digital edition of the December 2010 S&T is now available.
Eris Gets Dwarfed (Is Pluto Bigger?)
On November 6th, it only took 76 seconds for astronomers to realize that the distant dwarf planet Eris is substantially smaller than thought — and now might even be a bit smaller than Pluto.
New Binocular Comet in the Morning Sky
On November 3, 2010, two amateurs in Japan discovered an 8th-magnitude comet visually. It's visible in binoculars.
Mr. Hartley's Amazing Comet
For the fifth time, a spacecraft has revealed close-up images of a comet's nucleus. Comet Hartley 2 is perhaps the wildest and most dramatic of them all.
