The Milky Way’s Warped Tutu Twirls Every 600 Million Years
Astronomers have known for decades that our galaxy is warped. Now, they can follow the warp’s rotation as it travels around the galactic center.
European ExoMars Mission Delayed to 2022
The European and Roscosmos space agencies have postponed the launch of their Kazachok lander and Rosalind Franklin rover to 2022.
Easy-to-find Deep-sky Objects for Cold Nights
Cold weather keeping you inside at night? Limit your time outdoors and make the most of your telescope time with these easy-to-find deep-sky gems.
Iron Might Rain on This Hot Jupiter
New observations show a signature that could come from iron rain on one side of hot Jupiter WASP-76b.
Gravitational Waves Put Ruler to Neutron Stars
Scientists have combined observations of gravitational waves from a neutron star collision with nuclear theory to shed light on the size and nature of neutron stars.
NASA Announces Next Mars Rover Name: Perseverance
NASA announced today that its next Mars rover mission now has its official name: Perseverance.
Winter Stargazing in the Florida Keys
Every February, amateur astronomers flock to the Florida Keys to a dark-sky site for a week of stargazing at the Winter Star Party.
Diving Into the Moon's Bay of Rainbows
This curious lunar feature — visible the nights of March 4th and April 2nd — is a delight in small scopes or even binoculars.
Earth Has A Mini-Moon — But Not for Long!
Two astronomers discovered a temporary mini-moon captured by Earth — but it's about to win its freedom.
New Horizons Recruits Amateurs to Sight Stars
The New Horizons team wants you to help measure the distance to two stars, yielding the longest-ever baseline measurement of a key cosmic yardstick.
March 2020: A Planet Trio and More!
During March, the cosmos offers a lot to see both before sunrise and after sunset. To get a guided tour of the month's highlights, play or download this month's Sky Tour episode.
What Lies Beneath the Moon's Farside?
The Chang’e 4 mission made the first-ever landing on the farside of the Moon last year — now it’s providing a look at what lies below its surface.
Meet the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters
The Pleiades are actually a star cluster of thousands of stars enshrouded in dust and gas, and they're easy to find if you know where to look.
The Fall and Rise of Betelgeuse
With its recent uptick in brightness, Betelgeuse appears to be slowly returning to normal. But will it? Astronomers urge us to keep watch.
NASA’s Insight Detects Many Marsquakes on the Red Planet
Persistent tremors on Mars suggest the planet’s interior is cooling and hint that there might be a pocket of magma beneath the surface.
What Snuffed Out Star Formation in This “Monster” Galaxy?
Astronomers have discovered a galaxy that formed five times as many stars as the Milky Way within 2 billion years after the Big Bang — but then quickly quelled any further starbirth.
Explore the Winter Hexagon
This expansive region is home to plenty of bright stars and deep-sky wonders.
What's in the New Proposed NASA Budget
The President's 2021 budget request for NASA would push hard for human lunar exploration at the expense of several key programs.
New Horizons Reveals Full Picture of Arrokoth...and How Planets Form
New Horizon’s flyby of Arrokoth, a planetesimal in the Kuiper Belt, reveals a pristine object untouched since the solar system’s origin. Its shape and geology show that planetesimals form more gently than previously thought.
Is Betelgeuse Approaching a Crossroads?
Astronomers all over are waiting with bated breath to see what Betelgeuse will do next. Is it going to start brightening again on February 21st? Or will it continue to surprise?
