SUNSET: 
The Parker Solar Probe Captures Surprising Images of Venus Nightside
A visible glow from our sister planet’s nightside sheds new light on a 300-year-old observing enigma dubbed the “ashen light.”
Solar Tsunami Hit Earth 9,200 Years Ago
Scientists examining ancient ice cores have found radioactive evidence of an extreme solar storm that took place in 7,176 BCE.
Meteorite Evidence Suggests Earth’s Water Was Here Before Earth Was
Where did Earth’s water come from? One of the oldest meteorites on Earth is adding new pieces to an old puzzle.
Citizen Scientists Find 1,000+ Asteroids Photobombing Hubble Images
The combined power of citizen science and machine learning have led to the discovery of more than 1,000 new asteroids in archival images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Evidence Hints at Ancient Life on Mars
Scientists have found a chemical signature that hints at ancient life on Mars. But other possible explanations remain.
Set Your Sights on This Lunar Bull’s-Eye
Go ahead, live on the edge: Grab your chance this month to see Mare Orientale, one of the most spectacular lunar seas most people have never seen.
Watch an Asteroid Race Across the Sky
The kilometer-wide, potentially hazardous asteroid 1994 PC1 will fly past Earth on January 18th. Good news on two counts: It won't hit us, and it's bright enough to see in a 4-inch telescope.
Do the Plumes from Saturn’s Icy Moon Reach Down to Its Ocean?
The plumes erupting from Saturn's moon Enceladus may originate in slush in the moon's icy crust rather than its deep, subsurface ocean.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Comet-seeking on Cold, Crunchy Nights
Did the recent apparition of Comet Leonard whet your appetite for more of these beautiful unpredictables? Here are five more you can see with your telescope this season.
Samples from Asteroid Ryugu Are Most Primitive Material We've Found
The material that the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft returned from asteroid Ryugu is the most pristine sample we've ever gotten our hands on.
“Humanity Has ‘Touched’ the Sun”
On its eighth close pass, NASA’s record-breaking Parker Solar Probe entered our star’s atmosphere and “touched” the surface of the Sun.
Precious Hours with the Geminids
At first glance, the annual Geminid meteor shower appears to be on a collision course with a bright Moon. But a closer look reveals a happy window of dark skies.
See Comet Leonard at its Best
The year's brightest comet is now on display in the predawn sky this week and next. Here's how to find it.
NASA’s DART Mission Launches for Head-on Collision with an Asteroid
The first-ever planetary defense mission is now on its way to the asteroid Didymos and its moon, Dimorphos.
Can This Near-Earth Asteroid Help Us Understand the First Interstellar Visitor?
Astronomers have observed an object like ‘Oumuamua — but unlike the first known interstellar visitor, this one is in the solar system.
Has a Stray Piece of the Moon Become a Quasi-satellite of Earth?
A quasi-satellite of Earth, named Kamoʻoalewa, might actually be a chip off our Moon.
Did a Comet Explode Over South America 12,000 Years Ago?
Huge chunks and twisted slabs of dark glass are strewn across a patch of the Chilean Atacama Desert. Do they have a cosmic origin?
The Case for an Active Volcano on Venus
After decades of studying Venus, many questions remain about our planetary next-door neighbor. One question has particularly intrigued astronomers: which, if any, of Venus’s 1,600 volcanoes are still active?
The Roots of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Run Deep
NASA’s Juno mission has obtained measurements that finally say just how deep the Great Red Spot goes.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Uranus Queues Up for Opposition
Journey to a remote planet then double back to check in on the latest stirrings of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann before touching the finger of dawn.