58 results
Discovery images of asteroid 2015 BZ509

Astronomy & Observing News

Did This Wrong-way Asteroid Come from Beyond the Solar System?

An intriguing asteroid was spotted traveling backwards around Jupiter back in 2015. Now a team of researchers think it could have formed around another star.

The Milky Way, cropped

Astronomy & Observing News

Amateurs Take Huge Panoramic View of the Milky Way — Without a Telescope

This is what the largest available image of the Milky Way using only off-the-shelf photographic equipment looks like.

Terrestrial Synestia (art)

Astronomy & Observing News

Could a Giant Impact Have Vaporized Earth to Create the Moon?

In a new twist on the giant impact theory, a new idea posits that the Moon might have formed from the vaporized remains of Earth after an epic collision with another planet-sized body.

Astronomy & Observing News

Amateur Astronomer Captures Supernova’s First Light

In 2016 an amateur astronomer was testing his camera — and captured the first flash of a supernova.

Small Magellanic Cloud at radio wavelengths

Astronomy & Observing News

New Telescope Sees Galaxy Down to Its Atoms

Astronomers have obtained the most detailed radio image of hydrogen gas in a neighboring galaxy, revealing its structures with more precision than ever before.

The Milky Way from Australia

History and Sky Lore

Aboriginal Australians Observed Red Giant Stars’ Variability

New interpretations of oral accounts by Aboriginal Australians show that they included references to the variability of red giants Antares, Betelgeuse, and Aldebaran.

Moon's ancient atmosphere

Astronomy & Observing News

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.

Solar Eclipse 2017

Astronomy and Society

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?

Astronomy & Observing News

Iconic Radio Telescope Begins 7-year Search for New Objects

A new survey promises the most complete map of radio-emitting celestial sources ever made. It will reveal thousands of new objects after seven years of observation.

WASP-12b

Astronomy & Observing News

Puffed-Up Hot Jupiter Is Surprisingly Dark

Researchers have found that a football-shaped, ultra-hot gas giant that’s being devoured by its host star is also one of the least reflective exoplanets ever found.

Astronomy & Observing News

An Atmosphere of Heavy Metals

Researchers have found strong evidence of titanium oxide in the atmosphere of a hot giant planet, adding new insights to the complex motions of these planets’ extreme atmospheres.

Pluto map

Astronomy & Observing News

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.

Astronomy & Observing News

Eclipse Aftermath Brings Lawsuit Against Amazon

Counterfeit eclipse glasses created great confusion in the days prior to the solar eclipse. Luckily few cases of eye damage have been reported.

Antares

Astronomy & Observing News

Antares Image Reveals Chaotic Surface

Researchers have constructed a detailed view of the surface of red supergiant star Antares, revealing a chaotic atmosphere powered by mechanisms that are still poorly understood.

Astronomy & Observing News

Best 2017 Eclipse Pictures from Our Readers

We've curated a selection of some of the best pictures our readers submitted to our online gallery of the August 21 solar eclipse.

Eclipse Vs Solar

The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

Total Eclipse vs Solar Power

In addition to clogged roads and crowded hotels, the 2017 solar eclipse had another big effect on U.S. infrastructure: reduced solar power production.

The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

The Eclipse as Seen by Citizen Scientists

Some academic and citizen-science groups came up with neat initiatives for eclipse day. Let’s find out how they did.

Astronomy & Observing News

Curiosity Rover Watches Clouds on Mars

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

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