Astronomers

A meteor streaks across the sky near Lone Pine, California, during the annual Perseid meteor shower in 2022.

Ten Dazzling Celestial Events to See in 2023

Stargazers can look forward to watching a rare comet, a super blue moon and several spectacular meteor showers

This illustration shows the exoplanet LHS 475 b and its red dwarf host star, located 41 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Octans.

James Webb Telescope Confirms the Existence of Its First Exoplanet

The high-tech observatory is helping to study the rocky, Earth-sized world that's 41 light-years away

Kepler-1658b was the first exoplanet discovered by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope in 2009.

This Exoplanet Is Doomed to Be Obliterated by a Star

Kepler-1658b is slowly spiraling toward a fiery demise

NASA's Perseverance rover takes a selfie on September 10, 2021.

Listen to the Sound of a Dust Devil Swirling Around on Mars

For the first time, scientists have recorded the noise of a Martian dust storm using a microphone on NASA's Perseverance rover

With the door open to give the telescope a clear view, SOFIA cruised through the Earth's stratosphere at 38,000 to 45,000 feet.

Unique NASA Observatory Will Make a Final Flight—to a Museum

SOFIA, a 38,000-pound telescope inside an airplane, spent eight years observing the universe in infrared

The Milky Way’s black hole, Sagittarius A*

What the Image of the Milky Way's Black Hole Really Shows

This year’s picture of the swirling plasma around the massive object's edges will help to reveal more about the galaxy’s history and evolution

The exoplanet TOI-3757 b has the same average density as a marshmallow.

Puffy, Marshmallow-Like Planet Could Float in a Bathtub

Scientists found the new exoplanet located in the Auriga constellation 580 light-years away

Researchers used multispectral imaging to reveal the hidden text (which is traced in yellow above).

Cool Finds

A Medieval Manuscript Has Revealed the Oldest Known Map of the Stars

Advanced imaging uncovered part of the Greek astronomer Hipparchus’ long-lost star catalog

James Webb captured the iconic star-forming region with its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam).

Marvel at James Webb's Stunning New Portrait of the Pillars of Creation

The haunting, finger-like shapes are part of the Eagle Nebula, a vast star-forming region located some 6,500 light-years away

The spiral galaxy IC 5332, as captured by the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument

See the Eerily Beautiful Image James Webb Captured of a Spiral Galaxy

The spooky-looking structure, known as IC 5332, is about 29 million light-years away from Earth

Just as songs repeat in choruses, formations in space take understandable shapes. Pictured here are the large Cartwheel galaxy and two smaller companion galaxies.

What Pop Stars and Actual Stars Have in Common

A songwriter and an astrophysicist discuss the art and science of repetition

James Webb Space Telescope's first images of Mars, captured by its Near-Infrared Camera (right), and a reference map (left)

James Webb Captures Its First Images of Mars

With some adjustments, the highly sensitive telescope could successfully observe the bright Red Planet

James Webb Space Telescope's mosaic image of the Tarantula Nebula

James Webb Space Telescope Snaps Spectacular New Photos of the Tarantula Nebula

The stellar nursery, located 161,000 light-years away, offers insights into a period of intense star formation in the early universe

The forged manuscript in the university’s collection

Historian Discovers a Prized Galileo Manuscript Was Forged

The fake document at the University of Michigan was likely created by a famous 20th-century forger

Generally, the Earth is slowing its spin ever so slightly, so why it seems to be speeding up lately is a mystery.

The Earth Had Its Shortest Day in Recorded History

On June 29, our planet completed one rotation in 1.59 milliseconds less than 24 hours

The Cartwheel Galaxy

See the James Webb Space Telescope's Dazzling New Photo of the Cartwheel Galaxy

Located 500 million light-years away in the Sculptor constellation, the galaxy got its unique wagon wheel-like shape from a cosmic collision

This large mosaic of the Crab Nebula, which formed after a supernova explosion, was assembled from 24 individual exposures captured by Hubble Space Telescope over three months.

When Will the Next Supernova in Our Galaxy Occur?

Scientists have new tools at their disposal to detect and study the dramatic explosion of a star

The James Webb Space Telescope's first Deep Field image

NASA Releases First Breathtaking Images Taken by James Webb Space Telescope

The five pictures from the most powerful space observatory ever launched offer a deep look back in time and the promise of stellar things to come

An artist's illustration of the James Webb Space Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope to Release Color Images Tuesday

Scientists offer a few details about the types of images that will be shared

The first-ever image of a black hole in the Milky Way

New Research

Here’s What the Black Hole in the Center of the Milky Way Looks Like

A team of scientists from around the world collaborated to get a visual peek of the supermassive object

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