SUNSET: 
Buckyballs Solve Interstellar Mystery
Soccer ball-shaped molecules lurking in the dusty corners of the Milky Way help resolve a long-standing problem.
The Most Luminous Supernova
Astronomers have discovered an exploding star that belongs to the "superluminous" class, and it's the most luminous one ever found.
Revealing Hidden Black Holes
The NuSTAR telescope has spied high-energy X-rays from five supermassive black holes shrouded in a thick veil of dust and gas, a test run that will lead to a better census of these hidden beasts.
Seeing Signs of the First Stars?
Astronomers have come upon the tantalizing signal from some of the universe’s first stars.
Weighing a Supermassive Black Hole
Combining a novel technique and a world-class telescope, astronomers have measured the mass of the supermassive black hole at the center of barred spiral NGC 1097.
Dark Galaxies Suffuse the Coma Cluster
Following on a surprising find reported last year, astronomers have now discovered almost 1,000 dark matter-rich galaxies in the Coma Cluster.
Mapping the Outer Milky Way
Stars still embedded in their natal clouds act as signposts to map the Sagittarius-Carina, Perseus, and Outer spiral arms of the Milky Way.
Astronomy & Observing News S&T's Planisphere"}'>
Learn the Night Sky with S&T's Planisphere
The chaos of stars strewn across a dark sky offers a lesson in awe and humility. Master your own night sky when you take 40% off our planisphere and other get-started astronomy products, now through Sunday.
Hot Jupiters: Cloudy or Clear?
New analysis of Kepler observations shows that hot Jupiters' temperatures might predict their weather report.
Spotting Andromeda Galaxy’s Giant Halo
Astronomers have detected a massive yet elusive nimbus of hot gas surrounding Andromeda Galaxy.
Mapping Dark Matter
Two projects are mapping the distribution of dark matter in the universe, probing scales both large and small.
Mysterious X-rays Spotted in Galactic Center
NASA’s NuSTAR mission has detected an unexpected haze of high-energy X-rays in our galaxy’s center, perhaps the signal of a mass stellar graveyard.
Do Explosive Bursts Heat the Sun’s Corona?
New evidence suggests that nanoflares, small but potent bursts of energy, might heat the Sun’s atmosphere. But not everybody’s convinced.
Hubble Investigates Ghosts of Quasars Past
A galaxy-size blob of gas discovered eight years ago by a Dutch schoolteacher has galvanized the study of the spectral remains of once-bright quasars.
Ring-Shaped Spyglass to Early Universe
A rare type of gravitational lens offers astronomers a close look at a young, dusty galaxy manufacturing hundreds of stars a year.
Watching Starbirth in Real Time
A team of astronomers compared two images taken 18 years apart to catch the dramatic evolution of a forming star and its surroundings.
How Slippery Is Dark Matter?
Dozens of galaxy clusters confirm that dark matter particles slip right past each other within messy cluster mergers.
NASA Selects Asteroid Mission Concept
NASA has selected the design for its Asteroid Redirect Mission, opting to retrieve a boulder from a larger asteroid.
