SUNSET: 
A Triple Asteroid Threat
After taking aim at a passing asteroid with the Arecibo telescope's powerful radar, astronomers discovered that it has two satellites.
Extreme Eclipse-Chasing
To enjoy the annular eclipse of the Sun on February 7, 2008, you either had to be an Antarctic penguin or a very dedicated and well-prepared traveler.
Mercury's "Better Half"
When it swept by the innermost planet on January 14th, NASA's Messenger spacecraft showed us a side of Mercury never before seen. After two weeks of intensive study, mission scientists have shared some of the flyby's intriguing results — including views of a "spidery" crater that has them stumped.
A Stardust-Free Comet
When NASA sent a spacecraft to grab samples of a comet and return them to Earth, scientists had high hopes that they'd finally be able to decipher how the solar system formed. Boy, were they wrong!
A Bird's-Eye View of the Sun
What's it like to coast high over our star? The European-built spacecraft Ulysses is doing that right now — for its third and likely final time.
Reunion with Mercury
For the first time in nearly 33 years, mission controllers have guided a spacecraft past Mercury, a fire-and-ice world that may hold many keys to the solar system's formation.
Mars Dodges a Bullet
Fortified with two months of telescopic tracking, dynamicists say there's now virtually no chance that a small asteroid will strike Mars later this month.
Cassini's Popularity Contest
After a month-long contest, the Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations (CICLOPS) has announced which images of Saturn are fan favorites.
Your Audio Sky Tour: January 2008
Here's an introduction to the wonders of January evening sky — the impressive Quadrantid meteors, the gleaming planet Mars, and the glittering stars of Orion and Taurus. Host: S&T's Kelly Beatty. (5MB MP3 download: running time: 5m55s)
Odds of Mars Strike Now 1-in-25
Astronomers have been watching a small asteroid that, they now say, has a 4% chance of colliding with Mars on January 30th.
Mars in the Crosshairs?
Astronomers are waiting to see what becomes of a skyscraper-size asteroid that has a 1-in-75 chance of hitting Mars in late January.
Tunguska's Blast: Less is More
Aided by high-def supercomputer simulations, two researchers now argue that small asteroids striking Earth — like what happened over Siberia in 1908 — may pose greater danger than previously believed.
Deep Impact's New Assignments
Put to sleep after its smash success in 2005, one of NASA's interplanetary craft is getting a chance to search for extrasolar Earths and to visit a second comet.
Earth's Magnetosphere: On the Ropes
A constellation of five identical orbiting probes has detected skirmishes with the solar wind along Earth's magnetospheric front lines.
Thirty Meter Telescope Moves Ahead
Thanks to a just-announced commitment of $300 million, astronomers and engineers can get ready to build the Thirty Meter Telescope — far larger than any other telescope on Earth.
Saturn's Sci-Fi Moons
Just when you thought you'd seen everything the ringed planet has to offer, the Cassini orbiter glimpses bizarre little moons shaped like flying saucers.
My Kind of Beauty Contest!
What's the most beautiful image taken by the Cassini spacecraft since it arrived at Saturn? Vote for your favorite today!
Lightning on Venus
The world next door seemed hellish enough with an atmosphere 90 times the sea-level pressure on Earth and surface temperature of 900°. Now, scientists say, there's lots of lightning — and what little water it has seems to be escaping to space.
Your Audio Sky Tour: December 2007
Download this podcast to guide you to the wonders of December's evening sky — like Orion leaping up over the eastern horizon with gleaming Mars by his side. Host: S&T's Kelly Beatty. (7MB MP3 download: running time: 7m20s)
Earth at Night: Not a Pretty Sight
Rosetta's nighttime snapshots of the Eastern Hemisphere show that the fight against light pollution has a long way to go.
