SUNSET: 
Super Sunspot Images
Using adaptive optics, a new solar telescope in the Canary Islands is taking the best-ever pictures of the Sun.
Hubble Spooked by the “Little Ghost”
The Little Ghost Nebula, also known as NGC 6369, is more friendly than frightening to astronomers.Courtesy Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) and NASA. Peering toward the constellation Ophiuchus last February, Hubble’s Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 captured the planetary nebula NGC 6369, often referred to as the "Little Ghost Nebula." To…
In Search of the First Star
This 16th-magnitude star in Phoenix contains the lowest metal content of any giant star known. It has less than 1/200,000 the metallicity of the Sun and is most likely a second-generation star.Courtesy European Southern Observatory. Details aside, the story is simple. The universe began with the Big Bang. From this…
Cosmic Rays from the Kuiper Belt
The "anomalous cosmic rays" have finally had their origin pinned down — in the outer reaches of the solar system.
Light Pollution Goes Mainstream
A major gathering in Boston, Massachusetts, demonstrates that astronomers aren't the only ones with good reasons to preserve the dark night sky.
Dark Matter Gets a Reality Check
There's no way to avoid it; galaxies really are surrounded by halos of unknown, invisible stuff.
The Return of Comet Brewington
A comet discovered in 1992 will make its first predicted reappearance in late 2002.
Eclipse Down Under
Observers in most parts of Australia and Africa are poised for December's partial eclipse of the Sun.
Why Is Saturn Tipsy?
Astronomers now believe a long-distance relationship with Neptune has pushed Saturn's spin axis off to one side.
Astro News Briefs: October 21–October 27
New Infrared Camera for Palomar 200-Inch Telescope October 21, 2002 | The California Institute of Technology recently attached a new digital infrared camera on its 200-inch Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory in hopes of detecting galaxies created soon after the Big Bang. The panoramic camera, complete with a $350,000 sensor…
Gamma-Ray Satellite Launched
A new European spacecraft will scan the heavens for high-energy radiation.
For Sale: Exoplanet Hunting Expedition
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific will auction a trip to Hawaii to join Geoff Marcy in hunting extrasolar planets.
A Double Star's Planet
Astronomers have discovered the first planet that orbits one star of a close pair.
Pluto's Warming Wisps
Pluto seems to be getting warmer, despite moving away from the Sun.
Star Speeds Around Milky Way's Black Hole
Astronomers have clocked a star orbiting the black hole at the Milky Way's center, revealing its mass.
Gamma-Ray Burst Caught in the Act
A fast worldwide alert enables astronomers to snag their best-observed gamma-ray burst ever.
Pluto Mission Gets Boost in Congress
The prospects for a mission to Pluto look better than ever.
Neutrino and X-ray Pioneers Earn Nobel Prize
The 2002 Nobel Prize for physics will be shared by three researchers who opened up two new fields of astronomical investigation.
Astronomers Warn Congress About Near-Earth Asteroid Risks
Meteor experts addressed Capitol Hill about the status of near Earth asteroid protection.
