SUNSET: 
Summer on Neptune is Surprisingly Chilly
Even though Neptune is entering its version of summer, it's actually cooling down — except for its poles, which are mysteriously warming up.
U.S. Space Force Releases Data on Bright Fireballs
The U.S. Department of Defense has released data on some 1,000 bright fireballs. Scientists are still debating if the data confirm an interstellar meteor.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 8 – 16
The gibbous Moon passes through Leo and Virgo as it waxes toward full, forming new Moon-and-stars "lunarisms" (patterns) each evening. Mercury begins a new apparition in the sunset. At dawn, Jupiter emerges to join the lineup of Venus, Mars, and Saturn.
Listen to the Martian Soundscape
Two microphones on Mars, carried on NASA's Perseverance rover, are for the first time revealing the sounds of another planet.
Two Years to the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse!
It’s never too early to start getting excited — and begin planning — for an event as spectacular as a total solar eclipse.
How to Safely See a Solar Eclipse
Our star is an amazing object to observe, whether by eye or with optical aid. These time-tested tips will let you see the solar disk worry-free.
Are These the Most Distant Galaxies Yet Seen?
Two fuzzy red objects in the early universe may be galaxies shining at us from only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.
Hot and Cold: Jupiters Reveal Formation and Chemistry of Exotic Worlds
At the extremes: A hot Jupiter reveals extreme chemistry on a sizzling world, and a cold Jupiter sheds light on giant planet formation.
April: Dancing Planets at Dawn
With the arrival of April, you’re likely to spend more time outdoors under the stars. So why not bring along our monthly Sky Tour astronomy podcast? It provides an informative and entertaining 12-minute guided tour of the nighttime sky. Download the April episode to explore the fascinating movement of four planets in the sky before dawn.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 1 – 9
The evening Moon climbs toward the Arch of Spring, then through it. Orion's Belt levels, the Leaps of the Gazelle cross the zenith, and Saturn and Mars conjoin near brilliant Venus in early dawn.
Floofy Objects and Other Tales of Astronomical Impossibility
Astronomers aren't holding back this year, with brand-new submissions to this year's highly prestigious (and fictitious) Acta Prima Aprilia.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Comets to View in 2022
Like comets? We've got 11 frozen fuzzies to share with you in the coming months, including a couple that could become fine binocular objects.
Meet Earendel, the Most Distant Star Astronomers Have Observed
The Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a single star whose light has traveled for 12.9 billion years to Earth — the most distant star known.
Where Did the Ice Giants Form?
Conventional planet formation scenarios have Neptune and Uranus forming closer to the Sun. But a new study shows that the ice giant planets could have formed right where they are now.
“Lucky” Images Reveal Dusty Debris Around a Star 330 Light-years Away
The transit of a large cloud of protoplanetary rubble across the face of a young star gave the Spitzer Space Telescope our best view yet of planetary evolution in action.
New Image Reveals Possible Origins of “Odd Radio Circles”
This faint ring of radio emission might signal a momentous event in galactic evolution. Then again, it might be something else entirely.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 25 – April 2
What constellation trots behind Sirius and Canis Major across the southern sky? Puppis, not a puppy but the poop deck of Argo Navis. In this dark of the Moon, try for the Clown-Face Nebula high in Gemini. And the three dawn planets dance through two more isosceles triangles.
Hundreds of Thousands of Stars Reveal the Milky Way’s “Teenage” Years
A census of hundreds of thousands of subgiant stars in our galaxy provides a window into the Milky Way's early history.
Meet Procyon, Orion’s Littler Dog
Meet Procyon, the brightest of the few stars in Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog. On its way to becoming a giant, this star is part of the Winter Triangle and Wniter Hexagon asterisms.
The History of Venus in Air, Rock, and Water
Forty years ago, NASA's Magellan mission “closed the book” on Venus. Now, a new generation of astronomers think the planet next door deserves a second chance.
