SUNSET: 
Sky-sweeping Telescope Sees First Light
The Zwicky Transient Facility has taken its first image, covering an area equivalent to 247 full Moons in a single shot. This beginning is part of an ongoing sea change in astronomy.
Astronomers Decode a Black Hole Jet
Two telescopes — one on the ground and one in space — watched a black hole’s jet turn on, enabling astronomers to probe its origin.
James Webb Space Telescope Launch Delayed til 2019
The long-awaited James Webb Space Telescope — the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope — has slipped its launch date by several months. It will now launch between March and June 2019.
Is There a Difference Between Starving and Feasting Black Holes?
A few decades ago, astronomers thought they had figured out how quasars operate. Now, a new study has thrown a wrench in the works.
Supermassive Black Holes Discovered in Close Tango
Astronomers have found what could be the closest known pair of supermassive black holes detected via direct imaging, orbiting each other only a light-year apart.
The Seven Sister Stars of the Pleiades Are Pulsing, Kepler Finds
The Kepler satellite monitored thousands of stars, but the bright stars of the Pleiades largely remained out of its reach — until now.
Meet the New Interactive Sky Chart!
Our new-and-improved interactive sky chart is here — create and print a customized view of your night sky for any date, time, and location.
Where to Watch the Solar Eclipse Online
Multiple organizations are live-streaming the total solar eclipse from groundbased telescopes, racing Volvos, and high-altitude balloons — take a look!
Solar Eclipse Activities for Kids and Families
Enrich the eclipse experience — especially the long, partial phases — with solar eclipse activities for the young and young at heart.
Four Exoplanets Might Orbit Sun-like Star
Astronomers have used an innovative technique to discover four super-Earth-size planet candidates orbiting Tau Ceti, a Sun-like star 12 light-years away.
Rogue Planets: Not as Plentiful as Thought
A new study finds that rogue planets — those floating free in the galaxy, unbound to any star — are not as plentiful as we once thought.
ALMA Captures Star Formation in Action
New ALMA observations reveal a forming star as it launches a wind from the edge of the disk that feeds it.
Supermassive Black Holes Observed in Close Dance
Astronomers monitoring a tight pair of supermassive black holes have observed their orbital motion.
Ring Found Around a Galaxy’s “Hidden” Black Hole
A team of astronomers has taken a close look at a nearby galaxy — and discovered an unusual structure that sheds light on supermassive black holes’ relationships with their host galaxies.
Potential “Failed Supernova” Black Hole Discovered
Astronomers may have watched a star collapse directly into a black hole — minus the supernova. The failed supernova could help understand how stars die.
Finally! The Galaxy’s Most Mysterious Star Is Dimming
Tabby's star, otherwise known as the most mysterious star in the galaxy, is dipping drastically in brightness, giving astronomers an opportunity to figure out what has been causing this star's weird behavior.
Meet Valkyrie, NASA’s Space Robot
In just a month, teams will guide this 300-pound, 6-foot-tall humanoid robot in a series of simulated trials as part of NASA’s Space Robotics Challenge.
Watery Skies of "Warm Neptune" Hint at Planet's Formation
Astronomers have detected water in the cloud-free skies of "warm Neptune" HAT-P-26b, a clue in the larger mystery of how these planets formed.
Watch Milky Way’s Stars Move 5 Million Years into the Future
Astronomers have transformed star data from the Gaia and Hipparcos missions into a video that predicts stellar motions millions of years from now.
Gravitational Waves Dethrone Supermassive Black Hole
Astronomers have discovered a supermassive black hole not sitting in its customary seat at the center of its galaxy. Gravitational waves from a recent merger may have ejected the black hole.
