SUNSET: 
A Big Black Hole in a Small Galactic Pond
A record-breaking black hole lurking at the center of a compact galaxy weighs about 17 billion Suns, a new study finds. Now astronomers are wondering: how did such a small galaxy come to harbor a leviathan?
A Planetary Nebula Reborn — For a While
A stunning image from the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals a planetary nebula come back to life.
Tilt a Black Hole and Watch What Happens
A simulation published in yesterday's Science shows how black holes govern their surroundings. Watch a black hole work its magic in this new video.
Explaining Cosmic Butterflies
Planetary nebulae, left behind by stars like our Sun, come in chimerical shapes. New observations confirm that many of these shapes may have a common explanation.
Stray Stars Might Solve Infrared Puzzle
A new study suggests that lonesome stars in galaxies’ farthest outskirts contribute to a mysterious, blotchy glow that permeates the sky.
Saturn’s Frankenstorm: The Aftermath
Though Saturn’s Great White Spot faded by the end of 2011, infrared telescopes have revealed the storm's long-lasting impact.
Revisiting Orion's Stellar Membership
The Orion Nebula hosts a well studied star cluster, the gold standard by which astronomers measure all other clusters. New research suggests that this benchmark might need to be revised.
World-Class Telescope For Sale
The impending closure of the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope might be averted if the observatory’s director can find a buyer.
ESO Celebrates Its History and Future
On October 5th, the European Southern Observatory and the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder will broadcast live webcasts to celebrate years gone by and new beginnings.
A Black Hole in Orion?
The Orion Nebula Cluster might be home to a black hole more than 100 times the mass of the Sun, according to a recent simulation.
Hubble Goes Deep — eXtremely Deep
The Hubble Space Telescope's newest deep space image reveals 5,500 galaxies in a tiny, dark patch of sky in the constellation Fornax.
Sharpest Ever Images of the Sun
Astronomers at Big Bear Solar Observatory in sunny California have upgraded their 1.6-meter telescope with a new adaptive optics system. The scope is now producing the highest-resolution images ever taken of the Sun.
A Tatooine Family
Astronomers have discovered two exoplanets orbiting two stars, both answering and raising questions about how planets form.
NASA Lofts Radiation-Belt Space Probes
Two space probes launched toward the Van Allen radiation belts today. They’ll help scientists observe and predict the behavior of ultrafast, and potentially harmful, charged particles.
New Heavyweight Galaxy Cluster
Astronomers have discovered a supermassive galaxy cluster that both meets and challenges expectations for how clusters ought to behave.
Fly Through a 3D Map of the Universe
A mind-boggling 1.5 million galaxies trace out the filaments, clusters, and voids in Sloan Digital Sky Survey's new 3D map of the universe.
Watch Curiosity Descend onto Mars
See through Curiosity's eyes as it descends to the surface of the Red Planet.
The Curious Avalanches of Iapetus
Saturn's two-faced moon hosts extraordinary avalanches that cascade much longer than they should. Figuring out what makes them flow might help scientists better understand landslides on Earth.
Galaxy Zoo's Odd Black Holes
Citizen scientists are helping astronomers understand how galaxies and their resident supermassive black holes grow.
A Peek Inside Sky & Telescope September 2012
Sky & Telescope's September 2012 issue is now available to digital subscribers. Some print subscribers may have already received it, and it's officially on-sale at newsstands starting September 1st.
