SUNSET: 
The Big Dipper: Hop to Spring's Sky Sights
The Big Dipper is one of the most familiar sights in the Northern Hemisphere’s night skies. You can use its stars to locate other fun targets.
May 2020: Venus & Mercury at Dusk
Would you like to learn your way around the night sky in just 10 minutes? This month's Sky Tour astronomy podcast helps you to navigate all across the late-spring sky like a stargazing veteran. No experience or equipment needed!
How Lazy Is the Sun?
Astronomers studying hundreds of Sun-like stars were surprised to find that most of them are more active than the Sun. Why is the Sun different?
Explore Solar System Worlds with NASA’s Image Archives
Have some time on your hands? Explore NASA's rich image archive and discover the solar system as you've never seen it before.
Is the Milky Way Throwing Out Forming Stars?
Some of the scant stars dwelling in the Milky Way's halo may have an unexpected origin: They may come from the galaxy itself.
Rescuing an Overlooked Planet
The Kepler False Positive Working Group has identified an Earth sized planet in the habitable zone of a M-dwarf star that was marked as a false positive.
Galileo: Work-from-home Wizard, and Other Tales from Lockdown
To give readers encouragement during difficult times, here are six moments in history when astronomers found themselves locked down with nowhere to go.
New, Incredibly Detailed Geologic Map of the Moon
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released a new 1:5,000,000 map of the Moon that provides a wealth of information about its surface.
Celebrating 30 Years: The Universe Through Hubble's Eye
Amateurs celebrate the venerable space telescope’s 30th anniversary with a look at some of its most mesmerizing images.
Did Pluto Harbor an Ancient Subsurface Ocean?
New studies shed light on the early years of Pluto's formation, and whether it ever hosted a subsurface ocean.
Chase a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid As It Flies by Earth
Break out your binoculars or a small telescope, we've got a busy week ahead! Watch as a bright asteroid approaches Earth, the Moon steals a star, and Comet ATLAS's last hurrah.
Mismatched Black Holes Merge
For the first time, the LIGO and Virgo gravitational-wave detectors have "heard" gravitational waves from an unequal pair of black holes.
Fomalhaut b: Exoplanet or Puff of Dust?
Is Fomalhaut b “the planet that never was”? Astronomers continue to contest the nature of this directly imaged object around a nearby star.
The Origins of Interstellar Objects
The first two interstellar visitors to the solar system are finally shedding light on their places of origin.
International Dark Sky Week Is Here: Celebrate the Night!
The weeklong celebration of the night sky we all share has always been an opportunity for people to connect with each other. This year, connecting with each other takes on a significance all its own.
Meet Dubhe, Giant of the Big Dipper
Of the seven stars in the Big Dipper, Dubhe is an outlier. Its color, speed across the sky, and evolutionary age set it apart from its comrades.
Black Hole Changes Star’s Orbit in Gravity Test
A long-awaited measurement indicates that a star whizzing around the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole has changed its trajectory.
Vast Magnetic "Strings" Puzzle Astronomers
New observations have revealed plasma strung along vast magnetic "strings" crossing hundreds of thousands of light-years.
New Comet Alert! Quartet of Comets Grace Our Skies
There's a lot happening in the northern sky these days, namely lots of comets! Comet ATLAS (C/2019 Y4) is still worth watching, but look for the new Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) and Comet ATLAS (C/2019 Y1). And you can still catch a glimpse of our old friend, Comet PanSTARRS (C/2017 T2).
Shadow-casting with Venus
Venus has a been powerful presence at dusk for months — bright enough to cast shadows. How would you like to put it to the test? The Moon won't spoil the darkness until at least April 24th — April 25th if you wait till after moonset — making it the perfect time to see your own shadow by the light of another celestial body.
