581–600 of 1,241 results
Haumea and its ring

Solar System

Surprise! Dwarf Planet Haumea Has a Ring

When the distant dwarf planet Haumea briefly slipped in front of a star last January, astronomers found more than they expected.

Moon's ancient atmosphere

Solar System

Ancient Moon Had Atmosphere Made of Volcano Smoke

Roughly 3.5 billion years ago huge volcanoes released enough gas to cover the Moon with a thin atmosphere that was visible from Earth.

2012 TC4 passing Earth

Solar System

Asteroid 2012 TC4 To Zip Past Earth This Week

The close pass of near-Earth asteroid 2012 TC4 this week will give NASA a chance to test planetary-defense coordination.

Icy weirdness on par with Pluto

Solar System

Neptune's Moon Triton to Occult Star

Here’s an opportunity for amateurs to help improve our understanding of Neptune’s moon Triton.

Solar Eclipse 2017

Solar System

Millions of Americans Viewed August Solar Eclipse

The 2017 solar eclipse could easily be the most watched event in US history. Can we learn something from it?

water in lunar regolith

Solar System

New Map of Water in Moon Dust

A new analysis maps out water across the lunar surface, revealing how its abundance changes with latitude.

Solar System

Cassini Is Gone: Its Legacy and the Future

After 13 years of orbiting the Saturn system, and 4.9 billion miles logged, the Cassini mission has ended, vaporized on re-entry into the ringed planet.

Cassini Grand Finale

Solar System

As Cassini Takes Its Final Plunge, What Will We Learn?

As Cassini dives into Saturn's atmosphere this Friday, ending 13 years of exploration, expect to probe the ringed planet's mysteries as never before.

Pluto map

Solar System

First Pluto Features Officially Named

Two years after New Horizons captured the first high-resolution image of Pluto, the IAU releases official names for some of its features.

Solar System

Nearby Stellar Traffic Twice as Heavy as Previously Thought

A new analysis shows that nearly 100 stars buzz our solar system every million years — an effect that can hurl regular cosmic hailstorms of comets toward Earth.

Voyager 1

Solar System

Cheers to 40 Years! Voyagers 1 and 2 Going Strong

Scientists and astronomy enthusiasts are coming together to celebrate two spacecraft, billions of miles beyond Earth, as they head for the stars.

Florence and its moons

Solar System

Asteroid Florence Has Two Moons

A large Earth-approaching asteroid, now sailing near Earth, has a lumpy shape and is accompanied by a pair of tiny moonlets.

Solar System

Asteroid Florence Pays Earth a Visit

Florence, one of the largest Earth-approaching asteroids, gets close enough to see in a small telescope this week and next. Here's how to find it.

Solar System S&T's Eclipse Stories"}'>

Experiencing Totality: S&T's Eclipse Stories

With our editors and writers scattered across the eclipse path today, here are our stories on the total solar eclipse.

Solar System

How Will the Sun's Corona Look at Totality?

Updated 8/16 to include Predictive Science, Inc.'s predictions. The total solar eclipse is less than three weeks away, but researchers already have a good indication of how the Sun’s corona will look when it comes into view.

Solar System

Curiosity Rover Watches Clouds on Mars

Barely visible water-ice clouds coast across Mars’s skies in new videos from the Curiosity rover.

Solar System

Huge Storm Rages on Neptune

A huge, white storm is raging on Neptune, and its location is baffling astronomers. How can a storm system this large exist at the planet's equator?

Solar System

Curiosity's Discoveries on Mars

After four Earth years on the Red Planet, the intrepid rover has found evidence of long-gone water and habitable environments.

2014 MU69 binary artwork

Solar System

New Horizons' 2019 Target: A Binary Body?

A challenging and intensive campaign by telescope-toting teams yields big-time results on the body that the New Horizons spacecraft will fly past in 17 months.

cutaway of Sun

Solar System

Sun's Waves Reveal Core's Spin

Solar astronomers may have finally detected gravity waves in our star’s core, revealing that the Sun’s central region rotates about four times faster than the outer layers.