Space News & Blog Articles

The waxing Moon passes Spica and then will occult Antares for much of North America. Saturn reaches opposition this week. The Andromegasus Dipper scoops up as summer wanes.

Astronomers have found a star that has a magnetic field rivaling the strongest magnet humans have ever built — and it might explain the origin of highly magnetic cinders known as magnetars.

There are two solar eclipses every year — so why are they so rare?

The near-term haze of climate disasters obscures our possible futures. But long-term trends leave room for optimism.

Mud cracks are evidence for sustained wet-dry cycles on ancient Mars, which might have provided conditions amenable to life (with caveats).

The launch of Russia’s Luna 25 lander heralds the nation’s return to lunar and planetary exploration.

The Perseid meteors come rushing in, and peak Perseid night ends with the waning crescent Moon triangulating with Castor and Pollux. Vega and Sagittarius culminate after dark. Scorpius lays itself down.

This week, James Webb Space Telescope reveals new details in the Ring Nebula and shows that the most distant known star isn't alone. Meanwhile, patient astronomers have collected 17 years' worth of images of the super-Jupiter Beta Pictoris b.

The Perseids are here! With no Moon to spoil the show it's time to break out the lawn chairs, sit back, and watch the comet dust fly.

Where is all of the water around hyperactive comets coming from? A recent article asked if it could be “Ice, Ice, Maybe?” and concluded that it likely isn’t.

The nearest black holes might be hiding just around the corner, 150 light-years away in the Hyades star cluster.

It’s August and that means one of the year’s most beloved celestial events will grace the skies. The Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend on Saturday night−Sunday morning, August 12−13.

We're approaching the peak of the Perseid meteors. Vega claims the zenith as the Teapot claims the south. In twilight, Mars has a friendly but not very intimate date with Mercury.

Amateur astronomy need not be a race through an astronomical task list, but rather a kindling of joy.

NASA detected a faint "heartbeat" signal from Voyager 2, after an erroneous command caused the spacecraft to lose contact with Earth.

Get involved in an extraordinary experiment to test Einstein's theory of General Relativity — and you can do it from your backyard.

Many skywatchers look forward to seeing the Perseid meteors every August, and this month’s Sky Tour episode why they’ll be especially good this year. You’ll also learn what's so special about the full Moon that falls on the night of August 30–31.

Images capture the birth of stars and planets in multiple results from space- and ground-based telescopes.

Find some of our favorite resources for the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse, including apps, video explainers, children's activities, and books.

Venus turns super-interesting and then disappears. Mercury lingers behind it in twilight. So does little Mars in third place. On the other side of the sky, the Moon passes Saturn.

Stargazers will be interested not only in the annular eclipse this October but also in the dark skies in parks along the eclipse path!