SUNSET: 
Black Hole Caught Spinning?
X-ray observations of a distant supermassive black hole might end a decades-long debate over the nature of these X-ray signals. But not everyone’s convinced that the observations are what they appear to be.
Info on Russian Meteor Pours In
The fireball that exploded over Russia on February 15th left more than a million square feet of damaged windows, bringing home how fragile life on Earth can be. Here's what S&T's staff has managed to piece together about what happened.
Culprit Pegged for Cosmic Rays
Astronomers working with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope say they might finally have the “smoking gun” they’ve needed to convict supernova remnants as the origin of energetic particles called cosmic rays.
Earth-Size Planets Common, But Are They Habitable?
The best place to look for nearby Earth-size planets might be the smallest, coolest stars — but these stars could also be bad for creating Earth-like planets.
Pulsar Twitches Perplex Astronomers
New X-ray and radio observations detected a strange switcheroo in the radiation from a pulsar. The repeated hiccups have left scientists scratching their heads.
Astronomers Zoom in on Solar Hairs
New observations with a rocket-launched imager reveal individual strands of plasma wound around each other in the Sun’s corona. These strands could be tied to the mysteriously high temperature of this region.
Galactic Bubbles Spark Debate
New microwave and radio observations resurrect controversy over gigantic lobes seen ballooning from the Milky Way’s center.
Floating Ice on Titan?
Astronomers had thought that ice on the Saturnian moon's methane-ethane seas would sink. But a new study suggests that, if the right conditions are met, ice could actually float on this alien-Earth world.
Watch the Moon Pass Mars
A beautiful crescent Moon passes Mars shortly after sunset this weekend. But make sure you find the right spot to skygaze, or you might not see it.
Kepler Hits Planet Bonanza?
Kepler observations have revealed several thousand potential planetary transits. The results are preliminary, but if they hold up there could be more than 200 habitable planets in the mix.
Planets Around Tau Ceti? Not So Fast.
News media have pounced on the recent announcement of a five-planet system around Tau Ceti, a nearby Sun-like star. But is the hubbub merited?
Hubble Takes Galaxy Census
New observations by the Hubble Space Telescope reveal some of the earliest galaxies in the universe.
Big River on Titan
The Cassini spacecraft has spotted what could be the longest river system seen beyond Earth. The river looks like it's feeding into a sea on Saturn's moon Titan.
Spacetime Ripples on the Horizon?
Scientists might be closer to detecting one prediction of Einstein's theory of gravity than they thought they were.
The 2012 Leonid Meteor Shower
The annual Leonids should peak early Saturday morning. While they probably won't make a big impression this year, an absent Moon and the possibility of a second meteor peak next week raise the cool factor.
Cosmic Web Weeds Dwarf Galaxies
Astronomers have discovered an unexpected explanation for why they can only find a small fraction of the satellite galaxies the Milky Way is supposed to have.
Great Red Spot Shrinking
Observations by amateur astronomers confirm that Jupiter's gargantuan storm is still tightening its waistline.
Fermi Detects Cosmic Fog
An international team has used the disappearance of high-energy photons to narrow in on the origin of the light suffusing the cosmos.
Beads on a Galaxy-Scale String
A new image from the Australia Telescope Compact Array shows a series of brilliant knots along the jet shooting from a supermassive black hole. While not the first sighting of a string of pearls gracing a galaxy's jet, the new image is a striking look at a mysterious phenomenon.
Planet Found in Alpha Centauri System
Astronomers announced what might be the closest exoplanet to Earth, a roasted Earth-mass world whipping around the Sun-like star Alpha Centauri B.
