NASA Builds a Stardust Factory
When stars near the end of their lives, they expel their outer layers into space. This gas expands and cools,…
So, Is Pluto a Planet or Not?
In ancient times, skywatchers knew of 5 planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The fact that Earth was another…
Book Review: Getting Off the Planet
The first astronauts wanted to be more than passengers in their spaceships. However, undertaking an active role meant that systems,…
What’s Up This Week – February 20 – February 26, 2006
Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! With the Moon exiting the early evening scene it's back to deep sky as we have a…
Great Mercury Viewing This Week
Since it's often hidden by the glare of the Sun, you don't get many chances to see Mercury. Well, now's…
Earth’s Iron Building Blocks
The iron meteorites whizzing around the Solar System are probably remnants of objects that helped form the Earth and the…
Stardust’s Samples Under Analysis
Scientists at the University of Chicago have received their first samples of cometary dust from NASA's Stardust mission, which returned…
The Milky Way Shines in X-Rays Too
Astronomers now know that the haze of the Milky Way is actually the combined light of millions of stars. The…
Saturn’s Feathery Northern Clouds
In orbit for more than a year and a half now, NASA's Cassini spacecraft is only just now getting around…
The Sky is Full of Black Holes
Astronomers have been puzzling over a mystery for a few years now, and they think they might have an answer.…