SUNSET: 
KAGRA: Japan’s Underground Einstein Wave Detector
On June 1, U.S. and European physicists published the latest results in their quest for gravitational waves — tiny ripples in spacetime, generated by energetic events like the collision and merger of distant black holes. Meanwhile, a new gravitational wave observatory is under construction in Japan. Sky & Telescope Contributing Editor Govert Schilling visited the KAGRA detector in 2016.
Homing in on the Source of a Mysterious Fast Radio Burst
Ground- and space-based observations have now shed intriguing new light on a mysterious radio source more than 3 billion light-years away.
Road Tripping Space: Visiting Meteorites in Africa
Traveling through space can be a bumpy ride! Join Govert Schilling on a scenic road trip across southern Africa filled with craters and meteorites.
Bright future for South African Astronomy
Govert Schilling chronicles his travels to astronomical observatories across South Africa, the future site of the Square Kilometre Array.
Hubble Spies Faint Galaxies, Bountiful in Early Universe
Hubble has spotted more than 100 small, faint galaxies in the young universe, common as dust bunnies but previously out of reach of even the best telescopes.
The Incredible Skies of Namibia
Explore two unique astronomical sites that lie under the dark skies of Namibia - the HESS high-energy array and the Africa Millimeter Telescope.
Not-So-Clumpy Dark Matter Poses Cosmological Challenge
Astronomers analyzing a new sky survey have found that the distribution of dark matter in the modern universe is smoother than predicted from observations of a far younger universe.
SOFIA Dashes into Pluto's Shadow
Despite an 11th-hour scramble due to an unexpected in predictions, NASA's flying observatory was in the right place at the right time on June 29th as distant Pluto briefly covered a 12th-magnitude star.
A Whirlwind South Pole Tour
S&T contributing editor Govert Schilling tells the story of his recent expedition to the unique science laboratory located at the inhospitable South Pole.
Radio Astronomy in the Aussie Outback
It's not easy to get to the Murchison Radio Observatory in Western Australia. Being in one of the most remote regions of the country means there's hardly any radio interference that might otherwise compromise the astronomical observations. It's one of the most radio-quiet zones on the planet.
Planet Hunters are Losing Count
The latest 500 planet candidates from the Kepler mission are just part of the story. But Terra II remains elusive.
Remembering Tom Gehrels (1925-2011)
Dutch-born planetary scientist and asteroid hunter Tom Gehrels passed away on July 11th. Sky & Telescope contributing editor Govert Schilling shares his memories of a unique person.
Praising Arizona — II
S&T contributing editor Govert Schilling visits observatories in southern Arizona.
Praising Arizona — I
S&T contributing editor Govert Schilling visits observatories in southern Arizona
COROT Finds the Smallest Exoplanet Yet
Astronomers have found the smallest transiting exoplanet yet, with a silhouette only about 1.7 Earth diameters wide. It's also the fastest-orbiting planet known, with a "year" lasting 20 hours.
Standard-Candle Supernova Confusion
Type 1a supernovas are crucial for measuring how the expansion of the universe has been changing. But no one knows for sure exactly what they are.
Rain of Super-Particles
A 45-year mystery solved? Scientists using the new Pierre Auger Observatory say they've finally tracked down where ultra-high-energy cosmic rays — "tennis ball particles" — are coming from.
Cold Evidence for a Cosmic "Texture"?
A ripple in the cosmic background radiation hints at an irregularity in spacetime. . . maybe.
The Source of the Dinosaurs' Asteroid
Did a colossal collision in the asteroid belt 160 million years ago doom the dinosaurs? A just-published analysis argues strongly for exactly that.
Mira's Marvelous Tail
Mira, the closest and brightest of the red long-period variable stars, has thrown off a gassy hood and a comet-like tail so big that if you could see them, they would overflow your telescope's field of view.
