21–40 of 1,107 results
Diagram of buried polygon-shaped regions

Solar System

Buried Polygons on Mars Point to “Stark Environmental Transition”

Polygons buried beneath the surface of Mars indicate an abrupt transition in the planet's early history.

Crater-covered rocky object in foreground, two thin rings stripe diagonally down in background, behind them the sun

Solar System

The Comet-Asteroid Chiron Has Rings — And They're Changing

A series of stellar occultations has provided evidence that the ring system around this strange object is evolving drastically.

Slanted shot shows black space over the gray, cratered horizon of Mercury

Solar System

Do Glaciers on Mercury Suggest Such a Planet Could Be Habitable?

Salt glaciers on Mercury suggest conditions friendly to life — but not life itself — might once have existed on the innermost planet.

First look at Dinkinesh and its satellite

Solar System

Amateur Astronomers Discover an Asteroid’s Moon

The small object orbiting around main-belt asteroid 5457 Queen’s is the second confirmed asteroid moon discovered during a stellar occultation.

Titania from Voyager 2

Occultations

Watch Uranus's Moon Titania Cover a Star Monday Night

Observers across much of the U.S. and Canada have a unique opportunity Monday night, November 20–21, to see Uranus's brightest moon occult a star.

GRS 2017 Juno

Explore the Night with Bob King

Jupiter's Great Red Spot Just Keeps Getting Smaller

Jupiter's Great Red Spot may be reaching a milestone this year by shrinking to its smallest size in recorded observational history.

Gibbous Venus from Akatsuki

Solar System

Atomic Oxygen Detected on Venus

New data provide direct evidence for the existence of atomic oxygen in Venus's upper atmosphere, enabling new science on our sister planet.

Dinkinesh and its contact-binary moon

Space Missions

Lucy Mission Flies By Asteroid Dinkinesh, Finds Binary Moon (Updated)

The Lucy mission's flyby of the main-belt asteroid Dinkinesh resulted in a surprise — yet another asteroid moon!

Theia Impact

Solar System

Bits of Theia Might Be in Earth's Mantle

A "smoking gun" for the ancient calamity that formed Earth’s large Moon may still exist deep in the mantle of our planet.

Solar System

New Forecast Resets Solar Cycle Expectations

A new forecast suggests that sunspot numbers, aurorae, and other solar activity will peak sooner and at a higher level than expected.

Starlink flares

Explore the Night with Bob King

How to See Freaky Starlink "Cluster Flares", Plus the Latest on Comet Lemmon

Alien invasion or flares from satellites in multiple orbits? It depends on your point of view. We also check in on Comet Lemmon, poised to possibly reach binocular-visibility.

Solar System

Marsquake Reveals Molten Layer Above Martian Core

An impact far from NASA's Insight lander on Mars set off seismic waves that revealed new details about the Martian interior.

Io, as imaged by Juno

Solar System

Striking New Views of Jupiter and Its Moon Io

The James Webb Space Telescope and Juno mission turned their eyes to Jupiter and its volcanic moon Io, revealing fine details.

Orionid composite 2015-2022

Explore the Night with Bob King

Orionid Meteors Fly; Two Moons Shadow Jupiter

Bundle up and enjoy the Orionid meteor shower under moonless skies this week. Don't miss the warm-up act, either, when two of Jupiter's moons pair up in a captivating double-shadow transit.

solar flare

Solar System

Unearthing a Solar Storm in Ancient Alpine Trees

Ancient pine trees hold the record of an atmospheric event 14,373 years ago. The only known explanation is a massive solar storm.

Psyche launch

Space Missions

Psyche Mission Is on the Way to Psyche, the Asteroid

The Psyche mission launched today, on its way to rendezvous with the asteroid of the same name in 2029.

Sample

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

First Look at Material from Asteroid Bennu on the Ground

The Osiris-REX sample collection team reveals the first look at material collected from the asteroid Bennu.

Sedna

Solar System

“Planet X” May Have Left Our Solar System Billions of Years Ago

A new understanding of far-off worlds in the outer solar system suggests that if "Planet X" ever existed, it has long since left the vicinity.

Comet 103P/Hartley diffuse appearance

Explore the Night with Bob King

Comet Hartley Comes Home Again; Gegenschein-gazing

Get acquainted with Comet 103P/Hartley. It's been a dozen years since its last bright apparition. While you're at it challenge yourself to spot the elusive gegenschein.

Solar System

Psyche Asteroid Mission Set for Launch October 5th

NASA’s newest mission is bound for the metallic asteroid of the same name. The metal-rich rock offers us a view of asteroid interiors.