SUNSET: 
Astronomy in Pictures: Unraveling Galaxies and Clyde's Spot
This week in astronomy pictures: Peer into our galaxy's busy core, watch Clyde's Spot unravel at Jupiter, and see a stunning Hubble photo of a lopsided galaxy.
Dawn Delight: Catch the Total Lunar Eclipse on May 26th
On May 26th the Moon will be in total eclipse for the first time in nearly two and a half years. While timing favors western North America, a partial eclipse will be visible across much of the U.S. and Canada at dawn.
Interstellar and Solar System Comets Share a Surprising Ingredient: Nickel
Cold comets — both natives and the interstellar Comet Borisov — have nickel and iron vapor in their atmospheres, and scientists want to know why.
China's Zhurong Rover Lands on Mars (Update: New Images)
The Zhurong rover has successfully landed on the Red Planet in an ambitious first for China's space agency.
Helium Rain Inside Saturn Might Shape Its Magnetic Field
A thick inner layer of slowly falling helium blobs might help explain Saturn's almost perfectly aligned magnetic field.
Sights and Sounds of the Solar System
Spacecraft are returning sights and sounds from Venus, Jupiter, and beyond — here's a sampling.
NASA's OSIRIS-REX Leaves Asteroid Bennu, Heads for Home
NASA’s asteroid explorer has begun its long journey home with precious cargo onboard: samples of the asteroid Bennu.
Water-Ice Clouds Could Have Warmed Early Mars
New simulations show that the greenhouse effect of high water-ice clouds could have warmed early Mars, permitting the presence of long-ago lakes.
The Hubble Space Telescope As Cosmic-Ray Detector
Astronomers, using Hubble Space Telescope as a particle detector, have traced cosmic rays flowing in Earth's geomagnetic field.
Ingenuity Mars Helicopter: First Flight on Mars
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has made its brief hop into the history books of interplanetary aviation.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Make the Most of Comet ATLAS
Bright comets will be scarce this year, but you can see one of the better ones this month as it races from Aquila to Canes Venatici. In other news, a new, bright nova has flared in Sagittarius.
Bits of Theia Might Be in Earth's Mantle
A "smoking gun" for the ancient calamity that formed Earth’s large Moon may still exist deep in the mantle of our planet.
Interstellar Comet Was Pristine Sample of Planet Formation
New analysis shows that Comet 2I/Borisov, which zipped nearest the Sun in late 2019, was unlike any comet we’ve seen before.
Asteroid Apophis Will Miss Earth in 2068
Radar measurements taken early this month rule out any chance of a collision with Apophis over the next 100 years.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot Gets Smaller — But Stronger
"Flakes" coming off the Great Red Spot have had some wondering if this epic storm is coming to an end. But observations and computer modeling show it's only getting stronger.
Is an Ocean of Mars Water Trapped in the Planet’s Crust?
A new study suggests that by 3 billion years ago, most of the Red Planet’s water was locked away in minerals, and it has stayed there ever since.
Can We Expect Seven Interstellar Visitors Per Year?
A new study estimates the number of interstellar objects that fly through the inner solar system every year, and it could be quite a lot.
Karma Asteroid Family Might Be Sending Members Near Earth
New simulations have identified the Karma family of asteroids in the main belt as a potential source of near-Earth asteroids.
Zodiacal Dust Seen from Earth Might Come from Mars
Much of the solar system’s interplanetary dust — seen as zodiacal light from Earth — might come from Mars.
See the Latest Stunning Images from Mars
NASA's Perseverance rover, China's Tianwen 1, and the United Arab Emirates' Hope orbiter share their latest photos from Mars.