SUNSET: 
Decoding Titan's Climate
Astronomers may be one step closer to understanding why Titan has a detached smoggy layer in its upper atmopshere. Click on image for a processed view showing the detached layer of atmospheric haze weakly visible above Titan's day side.Courtesy NASA/JPL. With blistering heatwaves in the U.S. and devastating floods in…
First View of Mars in X-rays
The Chandra X-ray Observatory captured the first-everview of Mars in X-rays.
Giant Sunspot Group Still Visible
A large sunspot complex will remain visible for several more days before disappearing around the Sun's limb.
Contour's Fate Looks "Bleak"
No one has heard from the comet-bound Contour spacecraft since it left Earth orbit, and a new telescopic image suggests that it may now be in pieces.
Contour: Missing in Action
The Contour spacecraft (seen here in an artist depiction) will encounter at least two comets during its lifetime — assuming engineers can reestablish contact with it.NASA/Contour At 4:49 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the Contour spacecraft was to fire its engine, leave its Earth orbit, and head off into interplanetary space.…
How to Watch Saturday's Asteroid Flyby
For help in locating asteroid 2002 NY40 on August 17–18, Sky & Telescope has prepared four (PDF) finder charts (see page 2). S&T: Roger Sinnott and Gregg Dinderman. On Saturday night, August 17–18, a recently discovered asteroid will pass close enough to Earth to be easily spotted in small telescopes…
An Average Perseid Meteor Shower
This year's Perseids performed just about as expected, though hazy, humid skies hindered the view from many places.
Star-Party Season Reaches Its Peak
A new Moon, early Perseid meteors, and dark skies greeted attendees at Stellafane, Starfest, and a host of other star parties at the height of the summer season.
The Moon Through an 8-Meter Eye
The European Southern Observatory has captured one of the highest-resolution views of the Moon ever seen from Earth.
Not a Quark Star After All?
A weird object announced last April appears to be an ordinary neutron star, not a strange new type of matter.
Astro News Briefs: August 5–11
Do cosmic rays affect global warming, Stardust begins its mission, and more...
Dawn Comet
Another new comet, even brighter than Comet Hoenig, can now be seen low in the northeastern sky around morning twilight by observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Asteroid Hunters Receive Grants
Amateur astronomers from around the world have earned funds to continue their asteroid monitoring programs.
Comet Hoenig Heads South
This unexpectedly bright little comet (magnitude 7.5 or so) is currently heading south through Draco toward Ursa Major and Canes Venatici.
Making the Case for Merging Black Holes
Does X mark the spot where two supermassive black holes have melded into one?
Hilo Club Wins S&T Astronomy Day Award
With an estimated attendance of more than 12,000, the Hilo [Hawaii] Astronomy Club showed that Astronomy Day activities can draw large crowds.
New Comet Hoenig
A newly discovered comet promises to be a sought-after celestial prize in the coming months.
Ancient Impact Crater Found in North Sea
Oil geologists discover 3-kilometer-wide pit 1000 meters beneath the sea bed
New Technology Dominates Planetarium Conference
More than 400 attendees have gathered at Exploration Place in Wichita, Kansas for the 16th International Planetarium Society meeting.
An Inexpensive Rooftop Fireball Patrol
An amateur astronomer has devised an inexpensive, home-built fireball monitor.
