SUNSET: 
Comets Have (Ultraviolet) Aurora, Too
Observations from the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft show that Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has its own aurora.
Race to Venus: How We’ll Verify Phosphine
Confirming phosphine's presence on Venus is difficult from Earth . . . and that makes a good case for a mission to our sister planet.
The Sun’s Activity Cycle Is Stabilizing
Solar Cycle 25 is here, and forecasts suggest the next decade of the Sun’s activity will mimic the last one — halting a 40-year trend.
Uranian Moons Are Like Dwarf Planets
The moons of Uranus exhibit heat signatures similar to dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt — where the moons were likely born.
Potential Biosignature Found in Venus’s Clouds
Astronomers might have found a potential indication of life in the clouds of Venus.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Amateur Astronomer Finds Kilometer-size Asteroid
A grant from the Planetary Society enabled an amateur astronomer's discovery of kilometer-size asteroid 2020 QU6.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Stormy Times on Jupiter, Comet Howell Steps Up, and More
Colder weather might be coming, but don't pack away that telescope! You'll miss a powerful storm that's remaking Jupiter's North Temperate Belt, a returning comet, Mira on the rise, and a bright supernova in the Great Bear.
Study Suggests Jupiter Could Have 600 Moons
New detections of candidate moons suggest that the king of planets could have hundreds of smaller satellites.
Twinkling Quasar Hints at Mysterious Nearby Plasma Cloud
Radio observations have turned up evidence of a cloud of hot plasma near — or even in — the solar system. But its distance estimate is still up for debate.
The Origin of Earth’s Water
Scientists have discovered a new candidate source for Earth's water: building blocks of the primordial solar system known as enstatite chondrites.
How Did Pluto's Moons Form?
A massive collision with Pluto’s moon Charon could have formed the dwarf planet’s collection of smaller moons.
Hubble Captures Comet NEOWISE
The Hubble Space Telescope imaged the famous comet on August 8th.
Winds and Tides Drive Sea Waves on Titan
Sunlight glittering off rough patches of sea on Saturn’s largest moon indicates ever-changing waves.
Hints of Young Solar Systems
By studying the images of small young star systems, astronomers expect to learn more about the formation of our solar system.
Asteroid Ceres: An Ocean World
Scientists have thought that the largest main-belt asteroid, Ceres, had an ancient ocean beneath its surface. But new data from the Dawn spacecraft show the underground ocean might still be there.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Potential New Targets for Japan's Hayabusa 2 Mission
The Hayabusa 2 team has laid out a proposal for an extended mission to one of two asteroids after the spacecraft's sample return this December.
Radioactive Aluminum Sheds Light on Solar System History
Astronomers thought giant stars were reponsible for flooding the early system with a radioative isotope — but the Sun itself might have made it.
Was Early Mars "Wet and Warm"? Or Wet and Cold?
A new model suggests that Martian valley networks might have been created by ancient subglacial rivers rather than water flowing on the surface.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
NASA Launches Perseverance Rover for Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover heads to the Red Planet.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Cool Off with Pluto This Summer
Pluto might be a challenging target but it's well worth the effort. Grab your telescope and see if you can spot this distant, chilly world.
