SUNSET: 
Glimpse the X-ray Sky
Time and tide wait for no man. So the XMM-Newton space telescope is making every second count. As the telescope shifts its gaze from source to source, it's recording the X-ray sky.
Magnifying Quasars
Twinkle, twinkle, quasi-star: cosmic lenses could tell us what you are.
IRIS Tackles Coronal Mystery
Solar physicists hope NASA’s latest space observatory, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, can finally discover what heats the Sun’s million-degree corona.
My Hour in the Stratosphere
The stars were not aligned when one of Sky & Telescope's editors signed up to ride NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy.
Sequestration's Impact on Astronomy
From international travel to interplanetary probes, the U.S. budget cuts are having impacts on both ground- and space-based astronomy.
A Cosmic Sleight of Hand
Astronomers have been waiting for our galaxy’s slumbering supermassive black hole to stir for a snack. Instead, the universe handed them a different treat.
Herschel Breathes Its Last
After nearly four years of successful observing, the largest infrared space telescope ever launched has run out of cryogenic coolant, permanently ending its science operations.
When Supergiants Explode
Astronomers have announced a new class of gamma-ray bursts, possibly created when some of the biggest stars in the universe go supernova.
Alma Observatory Inaugurated
The future is now — the world’s most powerful radio telescope array was inaugurated yesterday.
Fire Damages Siding Spring Observatory
Yesterday bushfires swept through Australia's Warrumbungle National Park, home to Siding Spring Observatory. The telescopes there appear to have escaped harm, but some support facilities and staff homes were destroyed.
NuSTAR’s New Views
NASA’s newest high-energy X-ray telescope has released two stunning images of a stellar explosion and ravenous black holes.
ALMA Minds the (Planet‑Forming) Gap
For the first time, astronomers have imaged a key stage in planet formation, witnessing the gas streams that signal two gas giant planets sweeping up material around a star.
Radio Astronomy in the Aussie Outback
It's not easy to get to the Murchison Radio Observatory in Western Australia. Being in one of the most remote regions of the country means there's hardly any radio interference that might otherwise compromise the astronomical observations. It's one of the most radio-quiet zones on the planet.
The Flares from Milky Way’s Black Hole
Our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole emits regular, mysterious X-ray flares. For the first time, NASA’s newest sharp-eyed telescope has captured a high-energy view of the action.
World-Class Telescope For Sale
The impending closure of the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope might be averted if the observatory’s director can find a buyer.
Astronomers Approach Black Hole
The Event Horizon Telescope team has unmasked the heart of the jet-shooting galaxy M87, paving the way for astronomers to discover how black holes create their superpowered streamers.
Four Mammoth Cameras Take On the Sky
The Dark Energy Camera is one of four new cameras that started taking images of big chunks of the night sky this past month.
Sharpest Ever Images of the Sun
Astronomers at Big Bear Solar Observatory in sunny California have upgraded their 1.6-meter telescope with a new adaptive optics system. The scope is now producing the highest-resolution images ever taken of the Sun.
A Changing Landscape for U.S. Astronomy
The budgetary writing is on the wall: the National Science Foundation doesn't have enough money both to operate all of its existing facilities and to build big, expensive new ones. Something's got to give.
Fly Through a 3D Map of the Universe
A mind-boggling 1.5 million galaxies trace out the filaments, clusters, and voids in Sloan Digital Sky Survey's new 3D map of the universe.
