SUNSET: 
Monster Burst Challenges Theories
Observations of one of the most powerful supernovas ever recorded suggest that the standard model for gamma-ray bursts might be missing a piece of the puzzle.
Two Blows for Dark Matter Model
Two recent experiments limit physicists’ favorite candidate for the elusive and invisible matter lurking in the universe.
A Planetary System Out of Whack
The red giant star Kepler-56 spins on an axis offset by a bizarre 45 degrees from its transiting planets. The discovery of a third companion could explain why.
Fomalhaut Star System Actually a Triple
Turns out “the lonely star of autumn” has not just one, but two distant companions, making it one of the most widely separated systems known.
The Quest for Zodiacal Light
The first half of October 2013 is a good chance for early risers to catch the zodiacal light, the faint eastern glow preceding dawn.
Astronomer Seager Wins “Genius Grant”
Exoplanet hunter and S&T author Sara Seager is among 24 scientists and artists granted one of 2013’s prestigious MacArthur Fellowships, commonly known as the “genius grant.”
Comet ISON to Fly By Mars
On October 1st, Comet ISON will pass closer to Mars than it ever will to Earth. The Red Planet’s rovers and orbiters are ready to send home postcards of the event.
New 3D Maps of Milky Way's Bulge
New 3D maps of the Milky Way's central bulge of stars show a distinctively peanut-like shape. The maps give clues about how our galaxy evolved to its present-day form.
Glimpse Into Sun Befuddles Theorists
Scientists sneaked a peek into the Sun’s interior, but what they saw contradicts the assumptions made by models predicting solar activity.
Source Found for Magellanic Stream
New observations solve the origins of a long rivulet of gas encircling the Milky Way.
New Pulsar Explores Heart of Milky Way
A pulsar discovered last April is helping astronomers measure the magnetic field surrounding our galaxy’s central black hole.
How ALMA Works Its Magic
See first results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile.
Curiosity's Views of Gale Crater
Since its arrival in August 2012, NASA's newest robotic rover has been taking snapshots of the flat Martian plain on which it landed and the tantalizing topography that looms in the distance.
Glimpse the X-ray Sky
Time and tide wait for no man. So the XMM-Newton space telescope is making every second count. As the telescope shifts its gaze from source to source, it's recording the X-ray sky.
The Weakest Solar Cycle in 100 Years
Scientists are struggling to explain the Sun’s bizarre recent behavior. Is it a fluke, or a sign of a deeper trend?
The Chaotic Music of Variable Stars
Space-based observations of RR Lyrae variable stars, once considered the paragon of simplicity, are revealing turmoil in their daily vibrations.
PayPal Stakes Its Claim in Space Tourism
A few years from now, when you’re floating in a space hotel many miles from Earth, you might want to order some coffee. And PayPal wants to make sure you don’t have to pay in cash.
Was our Sun a Feisty Toddler?
Detailed observations of a young, nearby star are giving astronomers a chance to glimpse the Sun’s active youth.
Weird Glitch in a Cosmic Clock
The sudden slowing of pulses coming from a spinning neutron star defy explanation — and might require a rethink of the universe’s most exotic denizens.
Digitizing Harvard’s Century of Sky
Harvard College Observatory is digitizing its famed collection of more than 500,000 glass sky-survey plates and has just released the first data set.
