SUNSET: 
A New Type of Supernova
Astronomers have discovered a new supernova class where the star might survive the explosion.
Possible Dark Matter Signal?
Scientists using an instrument aboard the International Space Station have measured a signal that might come from dark matter — or might not.
Scientists Share Absurdly Exciting News
This year's April Fools' was a productive day for astronomers — catch up on all the shenanigans.
Star-Shredders in Action
In the cover story of the June 2013 issue, Suvi Gezari takes us into the den of hibernating black holes, showing us what happens when a star tickles the nose of a powerful beast: the black hole rips the unlucky star apart, lighting a flare that can be seen from…
Mission Planning for the Public
A NASA web-based tool plots trajectories to your favorite planet or near-Earth object.
Fifty Years of Quasars...And Fifty More?
As we celebrate the golden anniversary of quasars' discovery, some astronomers are pausing to question the direction of the field.
Interview with Exoplanet Expert Greg Laughlin
An artist's illustration of a potential exoplanet named Fomalhaut b. If it exists, this planet may have migrated to its current orbit.ESA / NASA / L. CalcadaIn the May 2013 issue of S&T, astrophysicist Greg Laughlin of the University of California, Santa Cruz — a leading expert on extrasolar planet…
Scorching Rain on the Sun
NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory captures "coronal rain," a beautiful and mysterious phenomenon on the Sun.
Harbingers of Death: Predicting Supernovae
A massive outburst may give a month’s advance notice of when certain giant stars will go supernova. That’s not great for evacuation plans, but perfect for observers who want to catch a supernova in action.
Amateurs Help Hubble Unveil Spiral
Robert Gendler stitched together a stunning mosaic of spiral galaxy M106, filling in gaps in Hubble coverage with his own and Jay GaBany's ground-based observations.
Water Once Flowed Under Mars's Surface
Fossilized wrinkles in impact craters suggest once again that water might once have flowed on Mars — this time, beneath the surface.
Amateurs Help Find Multi-Planet System
Amateur astronomers perform a crucial role in detecting exoplanets by a technique called microlensing, including the most recent discovery of a multiple-planet system.
Asteroid Mining Gets Competitive
Deep Space Industries, Inc, announced plans to send a fleet of asteroid-prospecting to target asteroids in 2015 — and that’s just the first step in their ambitious proposal.
Mapping the Milky Way
New observations of spaghetti-thin clouds, faraway star-forming regions and mysterious magnetic fields are revealing the hard-to-see structure of the galaxy we call home.
NuSTAR’s New Views
NASA’s newest high-energy X-ray telescope has released two stunning images of a stellar explosion and ravenous black holes.
Mapping Alien Atmospheres in 3D
A new technique charts the stormy weather of a brown dwarf 35 light-years away, allowing astronomers to probe deep into the atmosphere as well as across the cloud tops.
Planets Orbit Zombie Stars
Forget finding Earth 2.0 around a Sun-like star. Some astronomers aim for more exotic fare, searching for exoplanets around white dwarfs and pulsars. These studies could also teach us about the solar system’s fate.
ALMA Minds the (Planet‑Forming) Gap
For the first time, astronomers have imaged a key stage in planet formation, witnessing the gas streams that signal two gas giant planets sweeping up material around a star.
Tour Jupiter with Our Newest App
Jupiter reigns big and beautiful over December's sky. Now you can take our newest app with you as a guide to Jupiter's moons, Great Red Spot, and more.
Van Allen Probes Peek at Radiation Belts
The twin Van Allen Probes have only been spaceborne for 60 days, but they’ve already returned heaps of data about the radiation belts, whose "killer electrons" endanger satellites.
