SUNSET: 
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
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.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Making Time for Morning Comets
If you like mixing comets with the quietude of observing in the small hours, September opens with five fuzzy vagabonds just waiting for a visit.
Astronomers Discover Asteroid that Flies Close to the Sun
Newly discovered asteroid 2021 PH27 orbits the Sun in just 113 days.
Discovery of a Recent Martian Mudslide
A geologically recent landslide on Mars appears like mudslides on Earth — but it would have required water during a time when Mars was expected to be dry.
Venus: Thin-skinned and Likely to Blow
Scientists found a strange little volcanic feature on the edge of a Venusian corona, giving further credence to the theory that the planet has a thin outer layer and an active interior.
Saturn Has a Fuzzy Core, Too
New research reveals that Saturn, like Jupiter, has a “fuzzy” core that extends 60% of the way to its surface, a finding that is changing how astronomers think about giant planets.
Gale Crater on Mars: An Ancient Lake or Just Puddles?
A new study suggests that wind, not water, created the rock layers in Gale Crater, where the Curiosity rover roams.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Mars Perseverance Rover Hits a Snag on First Sampling Attempt (Update)
Perseverance came up empty on its first attempt to grab and stow a sample of Mars.
Don’t Worry About Bennu (Yet)
Careful measurements using the OSIRIS-REX spacecraft have refined astronomers’ predictions for how likely it is that this potentially hazardous asteroid will strike Earth.
Two Space Probes to Pass by Venus (Update)
Two spacecraft are heading for a close Venus encounter: Solar Orbiter passes by on August 9th and BepiColombo on August 10th.
Two Extremely Red Asteroids Discovered Far from Home
Astronomers have discovered the two reddest objects in the asteroid belt, and their origin story might tell us more about planet formation.