Cosmic Rays and Exploding Stars
Scientists have known about cosmic rays for a century. But these high-energy subatomic particles, which stream through space at nearly…
First Direct Observation of a Nearby Protoplanet
Astronomers have taken what is likely the first-ever direct image of a planet that is still undergoing its formation, embedded…
Comet PANSTARRS Cranks up the Volume
Brand new photos from amateur astronomers Michael Mattiazzo and Jim Gifford, both of Australia show the current view of Comet…
The Men Who Didn’t Go to the Moon
On this day (Feb. 28) in 1966, the Gemini 9 prime crew was in a T-38 airplane making a final…
A New Look at Saturn’s Northern Hexagon
Freshly delivered from Cassini's wide-angle camera, this raw image gives us another look at Saturn's north pole and the curious…
Greek Observatory Probes Ancient Star
Some 2,500 years ago, a Greek astronomer named Aristarchus certainly made some very correct assumptions when he postulated the Sun…
NuSTAR Puts New Spin On Supermassive Black Holes
Checking out the spin rate on a supermassive black hole is a great way for astronomers to test Einstein's theory…
Losing the Night: New Video Highlights Problems of Light Pollution
Light pollution is a two-way murky street. Not only have millions of people never seen the glow of our Milky…
Pulsar Jackpot Scours Old Data for New Discoveries
Chalk another one up for Citizen Science. Earlier this month, researchers announced the discovery of 24 new pulsars. To date,…
Tito Wants to Send Married Couple on Mars Flyby Mission
Millionaire and space tourist Dennis Tito announced his plans for funding a commercial mission to Mars, and the mission will…