SUNSET: 
Tour June's Sky — By Ear and Eye!
Download our 5-minute podcast for a quick and fun introduction to the key sights in the night sky this month.
"Seeing" Again
PBS will have encore presentations of Timothy Ferris's ode to amateur astronomy.
The Milky Way Remapped
Two new sky surveys shed light on the structure of our home galaxy.
Sun's Corona Puts a Twist on Its Pitches
The Sun not only throws blobs of hot gas at Earth, it also puts a spin on them.
Predicting a Stellar Catastrophe
Observations made by professional and amateur astronomers during the upcoming, once-in-a-generation eclipse of Epsilon Aurigae may reveal whether or not the star is heading for extinction.
Black Holes Shape Spiral Galaxy Arms
In recent years astronomers have found that the more massive a galaxy's central black hole, the more massive the galaxy's central bulge of stars seems to be. Now it turns out that for some galaxies, this isn't true. Is there a better way to judge the mass of a galaxy's black hole just by looking?
NASA UV Satellite Powers Down
After five years in orbit, CHIPSat enters a hibernation that may — or may not — be permanent.
"Holy Cow!" — Phoenix Spots Ice
If the Phoenix lander hadn't been able to find ice on Mars within reach of its robotic arm, NASA scientists would have been majorly bummed. They needn't have worried.
Is Mars Too Salty for Life?
A just-published study, coincidentally appearing as Phoenix prepares to get the dirt on Martian habitability, argues that the Red Planet's soil is at least 10 to 100 times saltier than Earth's oceans.
GLAST Ready to Go
Next week, NASA will launch its latest space observatory to provide our best look at the most powerful beacons in the universe.
Signs Found of Many “Super-Earths”
Jupiter-like exoplanets are outnumbered by smaller planets three to one, say astronomers describing their cutting-edge work in progress.
Amateur Finds Fastest-Spinning Asteroid
While chasing near-Earth asteroid 2008 HJ with a remotely controlled telescope in Australia, Richard Miles made a record-setting discovery.
Jupiter Sports a Third Red Spot
Jupiter's new spot may herald global climate change for the gas giant.
Phoenix Readies for Arctic Adventure
So far, so good. NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has reached the north-polar plains of Mars, and scientists on Earth are getting ready to put it to work.
Phoenix's Amazing Photo Finish
Whether by precise planning, good luck, or both, a high-power camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the Phoenix lander during its parachute descent with a menacing crater looming in the background.
Phoenix: Redemption at Mars
NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has dropped gently onto the north-polar plain of Mars — easing painful memories of a similar craft lost 8 years ago and rewarding its anxious handlers with stunning views of the surrounding landscape.
Mars Rover Unearths Ancient Hot Springs
The Mars rover Spirit uncovers evidence for hydrothermal activity on the Red Planet and a possible cache for microbial fossils.
Puny Star's Big Flare Wows Astronomers
While a NASA satellite looked on, last month a red dwarf in Lacerta erupted with a titanic — and unexpected — burst of energy.
Supernova Caught at its Very Start
By an unbelievable stroke of luck, X-ray astronomers catch the first minutes of a supernova explosion. You wouldn't have wanted to be there.
