161–180 of 5,892 results
Portrayal of 'Oumuamua (1I/2017 U1)

Solar System

The Odd Behavior of Interstellar Object 'Oumuamua, Explained

It wasn't aliens after all — an astrochemist and an astronomer have teamed up to explain why the interstellar object 1I/'Oumuamua behaved the way it did.

composite image of Ryugu's rubbly surface

Solar System

Analysis of Asteroid Ryugu Reveals Prebiotic Compounds

Prebiotic compounds previously found in meteorites have now turned up in pristine samples from the asteroid Ryugu, confirming their extraterrestrial origin.

3C 297

Galaxies

This Galaxy Is Powerful, But Lonely Too

A large elliptical galaxy spewing a black hole–powered jet might have eaten its neighbors, leaving it on its own.

rover

Spacecraft and Space Missions

Rosalind Franklin Rover Targeting 2028 Launch to Mars

The European Space Agency is working to get its ambitious Mars rover back on track after complex delays.

The crescent Moon hops over Venus in twilight, March 23-24, 2023

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 17 – 26

The crescent Moon visits Venus. The Orange Triangle turns nearly equilateral. And as evening grows late, Arcturus begins to dominate the low northeast. It's turning spring.

C/2023 A3 orbit

Explore the Night with Bob King

Anticipating Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3)

Newly discovered Comet C/2023 A3 might reach naked-eye brightness when it flies past Earth in 2024. Check out our forecast of what to expect to see in the months ahead.

Sulphur-tinged volcano rises above surface on Venus

Solar System

Finally! Scientists Find Active Volcano on Venus

After decades of searching, scientists have finally found a clear sign of active volcanism on Venus.

Big Dipper

Explore the Night with Bob King

Tell Time with the Big Dipper; See Ceres Transit a Spiral Galaxy

Phone battery dead? Learn how to tell time with the Big Dipper. Also, don't miss a remarkable transit of Ceres in front of the bright spiral galaxy M100.

Solar System

Amateur Astronomers Help Provide Uninterrupted View of Venus’s Clouds

The newest observations will help astronomers understand a planetary-scale wave in the atmosphere of our sister planet.

Cutaway diagram of protoplanetary disk, which flares out away from star

Exoplanets

Water on Earth Might Predate the Solar System

Astronomers studying the water vapor around a newborn star find that it’s chemically similar to ice in solar system comets, a possible source of Earth’s oceans.

Venus and Jupiter in the west at dusk, March 10, 2023

This Week's Sky At a Glance

This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 10 – 19

Venus and Jupiter widen in twilight. Mars, Aldebaran, and Betelgeuse form a triangle of similar orange sparkles. And there's lots to explore with optical aid off the trailing foot of Gemini, including the Toes.

Cool blue world

Solar System

Do Diamonds Rain on the Ice Giants?

New research shows diamonds might condense out of Neptune's mantle, but not Uranus', explaining a decades-old discrepancy.

X7 spaghettifying

Milky Way

Watch the Milky Way’s Black Hole Spaghettify a Cloud

Two decades of observations show a dusty gas cloud elongating as it approaches our galaxy's supermassive black hole.

Moon crossing Leo at nightfall, March 5-6, 2023

Celestial News & Events

This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 3 – 12

Venus and Jupiter draw majestically apart in the evening twilight, 1° farther each day. Much higher, Mars makes its third pass in the last five months between the horntip stars of Taurus.

Satellite trail passes through galaxy

Astronomy and Society

Satellite Trails Mar Hubble Images

An accounting of satellite streaks across two decades of Hubble Space Telescopes finds their appearance is increasing.

Exoplanets

New Planets in the Neighborhood

A planet-hunting consortium is marking five successful years by releasing data on more than 50 worlds.

Close-up view of Didymos and Dimorphos

Solar System

The Aftermath of DART, Humankind’s First Planetary Defense Mission

Five new studies give a full accounting of the aftermath of the impact of NASA's DART mission on a nearby asteroid.

Red aurora

Auroras

Aurora Season Is Underway

These are the nights to get ready for the auroras — and tonight may be your lucky night. Not only is the current solar cycle swiftly intensifying, March is one of the best times of the year to see the northern lights.

Winter Hexagon

Sky Tour Astronomy Podcast

March: The Winter Hexagon

As the Northern Hemisphere edges toward the March equinox and beyond, stargazers have an abundance of brilliant stars overhead as darkness falls. Anchoring the celestial parade is Orion, the Hunter. Download or listen to this month’s Sky Tour to learn about — and how to spot — the Winter Hexagon of big, beautiful winter stars.

image of the three stars in the Kepler-444 system

Exoplanets

A Fresh Look at Kepler-444’s Ancient Planetary System

Astronomers have taken a closer look at a system containing three stars and five planets and may have solved a mystery around its formation.