SUNSET: 
See Comet Leonard at its Best
The year's brightest comet is now on display in the predawn sky this week and next. Here's how to find it.
NASA’s DART Mission Launches for Head-on Collision with an Asteroid
The first-ever planetary defense mission is now on its way to the asteroid Didymos and its moon, Dimorphos.
Can This Near-Earth Asteroid Help Us Understand the First Interstellar Visitor?
Astronomers have observed an object like ‘Oumuamua — but unlike the first known interstellar visitor, this one is in the solar system.
Has a Stray Piece of the Moon Become a Quasi-satellite of Earth?
A quasi-satellite of Earth, named Kamoʻoalewa, might actually be a chip off our Moon.
Did a Comet Explode Over South America 12,000 Years Ago?
Huge chunks and twisted slabs of dark glass are strewn across a patch of the Chilean Atacama Desert. Do they have a cosmic origin?
The Case for an Active Volcano on Venus
After decades of studying Venus, many questions remain about our planetary next-door neighbor. One question has particularly intrigued astronomers: which, if any, of Venus’s 1,600 volcanoes are still active?
The Roots of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Run Deep
NASA’s Juno mission has obtained measurements that finally say just how deep the Great Red Spot goes.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Uranus Queues Up for Opposition
Journey to a remote planet then double back to check in on the latest stirrings of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann before touching the finger of dawn.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Jupiter Whacked Again? Japanese Astronomers Record Possible Impact
A group of Japanese astronomers just discovered a potential new impact at the planet Jupiter.
Two Impacts, Not Just One, May Have Formed The Moon
The Moon may have formed in a one-two punch, new simulations suggest.
How Bright Will Comet Leonard Get?
We examine circumstances and expectations for the current apparition of Comet Leonard, which may become the year's brightest comet.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
New Horizons Discovers Kuiper Belt "Twins"
New Horizons has spotted two asteroid pairs in the outer solar system. Their existence sheds light on how planets formed.
China's Lunar Samples Confirm Late Volcanism, Pose New Questions
China's Chang'e 5 mission returned pieces of the Moon in a technological feat last year. Now, scientists are publishing the first analyses of those samples.
Plutonian Mounts Aren’t Ice Volcanoes
Careful study of data from the New Horizons mission indicates that an iconic, caldera-looking feature isn’t what it seems.
BepiColombo First Picture of Mercury (Updated)
BepiColombo is set to make the first of several flybys past Mercury on Friday, October 1st.
Comet 29P Undergoes Brightest Outburst in Recent Years
Catch one of the most active small bodies in the solar system during a rare superoutburst.
Mars Hosted Supervolcanoes in the Ancient Past
Scientists have found massive ash deposits that formed over millions of years of volcanic super-eruptions, the first evidence for such explosive activity on Mars.
Hail-like “Mushballs” May Fall on All Our Giant Planets
"Mushballs," first inferred to exist on Jupiter, may fall within the atmospheres of all the solar system's giant planets.
Misfit Meteorite Sheds Light on Solar System History
Scientists have discovered the first meteorite that doesn't fall into one of two fundamental groups. The meteorite provides a unique glimpse into the era of asteroid formation and migration.
Amateurs Spot New Impact Flash at Jupiter
An amateur astronomer has discovered a possible new impact flash in Jupiter's equatorial region. Observers may yet see the dark impact scar.