SUNSET: 
Really Remote Observing
Chances are you've never heard of Dome A. It's 600 miles from the South Pole, and if astronomers are right it could soon prove to be the best observing site on Earth.
A New Cycle is Dawning
It's nothing more than an inconspicuous blemish in the Sun's northern hemisphere, but a new sunspot has heralded the start of the next 11-year-long cycle of solar activity.
Dawn Heads to Vesta (Finally!)
After many delays (and near termination), NASA's ambitious asteroid mission is finally under way following a picture-perfect launch on Thursday.
Comet Discoverers Awarded
This year's Edgar Wilson Award went to three unique amateur comet discoverers.
Opportunity Readies for Crater Dive
The Mars rover Opportunity will soon make a risky but scientifically rewarding descent into Victoria crater.
Saturn's Smoking Guns
Following a trail of charged particles, Cassini scientists find that two more of Saturn's moons may be active.
So Long Venus, Onward to Mercury
Scientists release the first pictures taken during the Messenger spacecraft's flyby of Venus last week.
Messenger's Last Visit to Venus
NASA's Mercury-bound spacecraft scrutinized Earth's sister planet with its complement of instruments and teamed up with Europe's Venus Express orbiter.
A Stunning Look Into Spiral Galaxy M81
Hubble has taken a super-high resolution image of M81 — and found star clusters, dust, glowing regions of gas, and more.
Scientists Find New Way to Measure Black Holes
Astrophysicists have developed a new way to measure the mass of black holes — by watching how matter clumps before it falls in.
South Pole Telescope Readied for Operation
On February 16th, at the bottom of the world, engineers pointed a brand-new telescope toward Jupiter, cooled its detectors to an unfathomable ¼° above absolute zero, and collected "first light."