60-second Astro News: Mature Infant Galaxies & A Possibly Rogue Planet
This week in astronomy news: Distant galaxies that look older than they are and a terrestrial planet that might be drifting through our galaxy.
NASA's Osiris-REX Has Stowed Its Bite Out of Asteroid Bennu
NASA’s Osiris-REX successfully stowed its sample of Bennu's regolith, collected earlier this week. Images show a good haul.
Juno Discovers Sprites and Elves on Jupiter
NASA's Juno spacecraft has captured ultraviolet images of a rare atmospheric phenomenon in Jupiter's atmosphere.
Psyche: A Metal-Rock World with Iron Lava?
New observations suggest the main-belt asteroid Psyche is an intriguing world, possibly one with volcanic flows of iron on its surface.
(Very) Small Chance of Apophis Asteroid Impact in 2068
The subtle effect of sunlight may turn the near-Earth asteroid Apophis toward Earth in 2068 . . . but chances for impact remain small.
Water on the Moon Isn't Just at the Poles
Water exists even on the sunlit Moon, a new study shows — trapped in glass beads but still extractable for lunar exploration.
Astronomers Chart Star Formation History, Glimpse Fate of the Universe
Astronomers have tallied how star-making material evolved over cosmic time — and they've predicted how long stars will keep forming before the universe goes dark.
Osiris-REX "TAGs" Bennu, Returns Stunning Views
See images and video from NASA’s Osiris-REX spacecraft as it samples the Nightingale site.
Moon’s Magnetism Might Have Protected Earth
The Moon's magnetic field, now long gone, might once have shielded Earth from the young Sun's radiation.
Comets Crawl through the Skies at Dawn and Dusk
Comets have been scarce since NEOWISE departed the scene. Not anymore. Suddenly, there are four fresh faces visible from dusk til dawn.
Osiris-REX Successfully Collected Sample from Asteroid Bennu
NASA's Osiris-REX mission has successfully touched down on the asteroid Bennu to collect a sample of its surface for return to Earth.
Casting Doubt on a Nearby Black Hole
New research has shown that the recently-discovered closest black hole to Earth might not be a black hole after all but a binary star.
Pandemic Inspires Surge in Telescope Sales
A silver lining to the long year we've had is a renewed interest in the night sky.
Meet Arcturus: Guardian of the Bear
Arcturus is one of the brightest stars in the sky — a cool red giant in Bootes, the Herdsman, that's often tied mythologically to Ursa Major, the Bear.
Taking Stock of Backyard Worlds
Scientists have used the Spitzer Space Telescope to confirm seventy-five new substars uncovered by the citizen science project Backyard Worlds: Planet 9.
Osiris-REX Finds Some of Solar System's Oldest Rocks on Bennu
NASA's Osiris-REX mission has found evidence of ancient water flows on the surface of asteroid Bennu.
Distant Space Debris a Threat to Satellites
New observations show we're not tracking a majority of debris in higher orbits.
Black Hole Scientists Win 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics
This year’s award goes to three researchers who played key roles in developing the theoretical and observational evidence for black holes.
Behold Mars! The Best View Until 2035
After a two-years hiatus Mars returns big and bright at opposition on October 13th, its best apparition until September 2035.
Did Pioneer Venus Find Phosphine First?
NASA's Pioneer Venus mission, which launched in 1978, found the first tantalizing clues of phosphine, a potential biosignature gas — but it took 40 years to realize it!
