601–620 of 6,128 results
Jupiter in infrared

Solar System

Why Are Jupiter's Rings So Thin?

Why does the biggest planet in the solar system have such flimsy rings? New research shows Jupiter's moons may be to blame.

NGC 7496 spiral galaxy seen in visible and infrared wavelengths

Galaxies

Thin Red Lines: Webb Space Telescope Captures Star Creation on Grand Scale

New imagery from the James Webb Space Telescope shows a nearby galaxy in a whole new light.

Mercury and Regulus very low in bright twilight, Aug. 3, 2022

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 29 – August 6

As the Big Dipper dips and the Guardians of the Pole align one over the other, Saturn looms low in the southeast and the False Comet teases at its highest.

Black widow pulsar

Stellar Science

Black Widow Pulsar Sets Mass Record

A pulsar has devoured enough of its stellar companion to grab the title for most massive known neutron star.

Earthshine painting

Explore the Night with Bob King

Solving an Earthshine Mystery

Something we take for granted about the crescent Moon's appearance may be nothing more than an optical illusion.

four overlapping jupiters showing dark orange marks on the bottom

Solar System

When Planets Collect Comets

What kind of planets are likely to ensnare comets coming in from the icy outer reaches of a planetary system?

Crescent Moon and Venus low in the dawn, July 26-27, 2022

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 22 – 30

Bright Arcturus is still pretty high after dark, but as summer progresses, it moves down the western side of the evening sky. Its pale ginger-ale tint always helps identify it.

Blazar (art)

Black Holes

Giant Black Holes Make Tiny, Ghost-like Particles

Blazars, the gas-guzzling black holes at the center of galaxies, could make most of the tiny particles known as neutrinos we catch on Earth.

FRB heartbeat

Stellar Science

Radio “Heartbeat” Teases Fast Radio Burst Origins

Scientists have observed pulses from a fast radio burst, suggesting the flash might have come from a neutron star.

Artist's impression of black hole binary

Black Holes

A Black Hole Lurks in a Galaxy Near Our Own

Astronomers have found a dormant black hole orbiting a massive blue star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.

Moon passing Jupiter and Mars at dawn, July 18-21, 2022u

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 15 – 23

The waning Moon says hi to late-night Saturn, the Teapot starts tilting, the Great Square thrusts up, and the Milky Way arches high.

Iapetus transit single

Planets

See a Rare Transit of Iapetus on July 17–18

It's tiny. It's challenging. But you won't get the chance to see Iapetus transit the globe of Saturn again until 2037!

A diamond-shaped grey asteroid with ridges, holes, and craters in it, against a black background

Space Missions

Asteroid Bennu Almost Swallowed Spacecraft Whole

Scientists knew the asteroid Bennu was likely a rubble pile rather than solid rock, but OSIRIS-REX's recent visit surprised them in showing just how loosely the asteroid really is.

Carina Nebula

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

What We See in the First Science Images from the James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope released its first science images today. Here's what these images show us.

Webb's first deep field

Galaxies

What the James Webb Space Telescope's First Year Will Reveal

The James Webb Space Telescope's first year of observations promises to reveal exoplanet atmospheres and surfaces, infant galaxies, and maybe even the first black holes.

white and gold interior of LUX detector

Cosmology

Dark Matter Remains Elusive – For Now

The first run of a new dark matter experiment turns up nothing — but that still tells us something.

Waxing gibbous Moon crossing Scorpius and Sagittarius, July 10-12, 2022

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 8 – 16

July is Scorpius season. Maybe you know of the Cat's Eyes in the Scorpion's tail, but how about the Little Cat's Eyes in the Scorpion's body? The Sagittarius Teapot follows not far behind.

supercomputer simulation shows gas flows in multiple colors

Black Holes

Where Did the First Quasars Come From?

New research shows how black holes with tens of thousands of Suns' worth of mass can form in the universe's early years.

Titan and Tethys

Explore the Night with Bob King

Titan Occults a Bright Star, Mira Awakens, and Comet PanSTARRS Shines

Pick one or see them all. July offers a potpourri of celestial events for both naked-eye observers and telescope users that include a rare occultation by Saturn's moon Titan, a bright comet, and Mira at maximum.

diffuse glow surrounding a bright core

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle

Monstrous Black Holes Spin More Slowly — But Why?

X-ray observations add to growing evidence that the most massive black holes have a different past than their lightweight peers.