SUNSET: 
Black-Hole Construction Zone
The inner region of the galaxy M82, imaged by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The brightest source seems to be an intermediate-mass black hole. It is located near M82's center, which is marked by a green cross.Courtesy NASA / SAO / CXC. Mother Nature usually forms objects in a continuum of…
First Planet Found by Microlensing
Astronomers have detected a Jupiter-mass planet by its gravity's effect on the light from a background star.
Astro Image in the News:
No Moon for Sedna
Images from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal that Sedna is solitary and smaller than initially indicated.
Building Planets in Plastic Bags
A science demonstration on the International Space Station may have solved a lingering question concerning planet formation.
Hubble Servicing: Robot to the Rescue?
NASA is considering whether robots, instead of shuttle astronauts, might be able to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.
Star Formation Peaked Later than Thought
A new study show that the universe's star formation peaked 5 billion years ago.
Janet Akyüz Mattei (1943–2004)
Janet Mattei served as director for the American Association for Variable Star Observers for 30 years.
Martian Methane Mystery
Three teams find a new gas in Mars's atmosphere that may be indicative of life.
A Disturbance In Jupiter's Clouds
A new, 40°-long, diffuse blue feature is currently visible at the interface between Jupiter's South Equatorial Belt and the Equatorial Zone.
A Faint Southern-Sky Visitor
Although likely never brighter than 9th magnitude, Comet C/2002 O7 passes by some interesting sights during its tour of the southern sky.
The Changing Face of Comet Encke
For Northern Hemisphere observers, this will be Comet Encke's closest approach to Earth since November 1838.
Two Comets in 2004
A pair of comets will grace the evening sky in May; Southern Hemisphere observers will have fine views of both.
Faulkes Telescope Project Launched
A man with a vision. British entrepreneur Dill Faulkes holds a scale model of one of the twin 2-meter-aperture telescopes his educational trust helped fund. Through the Faulkes Telescopes Project, UK schoolchildren now have access to professional-grade robotic telescopes.Courtesy PPARC. Last March 16th the IMAX Theatre of London's Science Museum…
Asteroid 2004 FH's Record Flyby
Right on schedule, asteroid 2004 FH made its dramatic pass about 42,700 kilometers (26,500 miles) above the Earth's surface on March 18, 2004.
Sundials Unite Mars and Earth
The Planetary Society is getting volunteers worldwide to build sundials that echo the ones NASA has placed on Mars.
Mars's Air Up There
By looking to the sky, the Mars Exploration Rovers hope to answer many lingering questions about the red planet's weather.
Stardust's Precious Comet Cargo
The Stardust spacecraft is coming home after collecting samples from Comet Wild 2.
Far-Flung Planetoid Shatters Distance Record
The discovery of an ice world more than twice as far from the Sun as Pluto may change thinking about how the solar system formed.
