SUNSET: 
India's Mars Orbiter Mission Arrives Safely
It's a historic day for India's maturing space program, as its first-ever interplanetary explorer successfully slipped into orbit around the Red Planet.
MAVEN Makes It to Mars
On September 21st, after a 33-minute-long rocket firing, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft slipped into orbit around the Red Planet.
Where Will Philae Land on Comet 67P?
European space officials have decided to drop their Philae lander on November 11th onto the small end of the already-active Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Success is hardly assured.
Curiosity Readies To Climb "Mount Sharp"
Now two years into its exploration of Mars, NASA's big rover has reached the base of the huge mound that scientists hope will reveal the Red Planet's history.
Earthshine, the Moon's Darker Side
Explore the Moon's dark side with the aid of earthshine.
Voyager 2 at Neptune: A Silver Anniversary
On August 25, 1989, a NASA spacecraft made its fourth and final planetary encounter. What it revealed 25 years ago about the Neptunian system is still amazing and still profound.
Happy Times for Comet Watchers
Seize the moment and bookend your next clear night with two fine telescopic comets: Jacques at dusk and Oukaimeden at dawn.
Mars Orbiters Duck for Cover
Mission planners have devised an unusual strategy for protecting orbiting spacecraft when Comet Siding Spring passes the Red Planet in October 2014.
Extreme Volcanoes on Jupiter's Moon Io
Even on Io, a world known for spouting off, the titanic volcanic eruption seen on August 29, 2013, was among the most powerful ever recorded — unleashing an estimated 20 terawatts of energy.
Rosetta Catches Its Comet
On August 6th, the ESA's Rosetta spacecraft finally completed its decade-long voyage to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
NASA Gears Up for Mars 2020 Rover
Six years from now, there will be a new NASA robot heading to the Red Planet: the Mars 2020 rover. On July 31st mission planners unveiled the rover’s seven scientific instruments, which will pave the way for human exploration of Mars.
X-Ray Glow Evidence of Local Hot Bubble
Scientists have confirmed that the soft X-ray glow permeating the sky has two sources: one inside the solar system, one outside.
Rosetta's Comet has a Split Personality
The Rosetta spacecraft is closing in on Comet 67P/C-G, providing astronomers with an ever more detailed view of its structure. Judging by the latest photos, it actually has two components and is shaped like… a rubber ducky?
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9: 20 years later
David Levy shares his recollections of that amazing day — July 16, 1994 — when the first fragment of a comet he helped discover slammed into Jupiter.
One Year Until New Horizons
New Horizons will reach Pluto a year from today, and the scientific community is abuzz with speculation about what the space probe might see when it gets there. Meanwhile, the New Horizons team scours the skies for a Kuiper Belt Object that New Horizons can visit after its Pluto flyby.
Is Mercury a Hit-and-Run Survivor?
How did the the innermost planet get its huge iron core? New computer modeling suggests that Mercury is a lucky survivor of chaotic primordial smashups.
Super-close Pairing of Ceres and Vesta
Two bright asteroids now appear extremely close to one another in the evening sky. Here's how to spot them in binoculars or a small telescope.
Rosetta's Comet Sleeps Again
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko only woke briefly before starting another nap, expected on-again-off-again behavior that bodes well for the comet-chasing spacecraft's arrival in August 2014.
Titan Sheds Light on Alien Atmospheres
Saturn’s largest moon Titan played a cameo as an exoplanet, allowing astronomers to better understand how a thick layer of haze or clouds might affect their observations of more distant alien worlds.
Sea Changes on Saturnian Moon
Fleeting radar features in a sea in Titan’s northern hemisphere are a tantalizing possibility of seasonal changes.
