SUNSET: 
Is Mercury Alive After All?
The Messenger spacecraft has discovered unusual hollow formations on Mercury's surface. No one knows what causes them, but volatile-spewing volcanoes are candidates.
Citizen Scientists Track Down New Planets
Using data gathered by the Kepler Space Telescope, a legion of amateur planet-hunting volunteers have perhaps uncovered the existence of two alien worlds.
Sky & Telescope November 2011
Sky & Telescope's November 2011 issue is now available to digital subscribers.
SETI Projects Weather Recession
Although funding has eroded for SETI@home and the Allen Telescope Array in the past few years, both alien-hunting projects have survived, thanks to donors and volunteers.
50 New Worlds and a Big, Pleasant Earth?
The HARPS planet-hunting spectrograph of the European Southern Observatory has just produced 50 more worlds — one of which may be not too hot, and not too cold by Earth-creatures' standards.
Dark Skies in Ohio
Where can you go in the Midwest to view the night sky unimpeded by light pollution? Ohio has a spot for you.
Webb Telescope: Progress and Problems
Despite threats by the House of Representatives to cut funding, the James Webb Space Telescope plans move ahead.
The Darkest Exoplanet Yet
Think you know all the kinds of alien worlds? Think again. Two astronomers have just added another weirdo to the list: an exoplanet darker than powdered charcoal.
Hunt for Supernova Origins
New observations are beginning to uncover the origins of some Type Ia supernovae.
Best Evidence Yet for Martian Water
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has found perplexing dark streaks that form seasonally and strongly suggest that liquid water flows on the Martian surface.
Amateur Search for White-Dwarf Planets
Arizona amateur Bruce Gary is assembling a pro-am team to look for planets orbiting dead stars.
A Promising White-Dwarf Binary
A team of scientists has found two white dwarfs locked in a close mutual orbit, providing an excellent chance to test Einstein's general theory of relativity.
From Stars to Stardust
Astronomers have determined that a recent supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud created a half-Sun's worth of dust — hinting that such stellar explosions might be an unexpectedly rich source of dust throughout the universe.
Hubble Spots New Moon Orbiting Pluto
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a new moon orbiting the icy planet Pluto.
Does Air Pollution Alter Lunar Eclipses?
Observations of June 15th’s total lunar eclipse suggest that smoggy skies over China created unusual patterns in the umbral glow on the Moon.
Neutron Star Gobbles Gas, Burps X-rays
Astronomers have observed a neutron star flaring to 10,000 times its original brightness.
Saltwater Ocean on Enceladus
Recent findings hint at the possibility of a saltwater ocean beneath Enceladus's icy surface.
