Astronomers
Missed the 'Parade of Planets'? These Upcoming Alignments Will Likely Be Better, Anyway
Astronomers tempered expectations of the celestial event this week, pointing to others in the near future as more exciting opportunities for sky watchers
Watch a Blue-Green Comet Illuminate Skies Over Spain and Portugal
The colorful fireball mesmerized onlookers—and its unexpected appearance surprised astronomers who are hoping to better predict when space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere
How to Watch the Dazzling Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower, Bringing an Unusual 'Outburst' to Skies This Weekend
This year's spectacle will be more impressive than usual, as the Earth passes through a concentrated clump of 3,000-year-old comet debris
Were Stonehenge's Builders Guided by the Moon?
Researchers are studying the monument's connection to a celestial event that occurs every 18.6 years
A Rare Nova Explosion Will Soon Bring a 'New Star' to the Night Sky—How to Catch a Glimpse
In an event that occurs only once every 80 years, a distant remnant of a star will grow much brighter, briefly becoming visible to Earth
A Stellar Collision Birthed the 'Dragon's Egg' Nebula, a Puzzling Structure in the Milky Way
The colorful cloud of gas and dust has a violent origin—and this explains the unusual traits of two massive stars within it, astronomers say
The Seven Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made by Exploring Mercury
Only two robotic missions have made it to the Swift Planet, but they were crucial for upending many false assumptions of that sun-scorched world
When Are the Next Solar Eclipses? 2026 Promises Totality in Europe, While Much of America Has a Decades-Long Wait
The next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. won’t take place until August 23, 2044—but eclipse chasers will have other opportunities to experience totality before that
The Eclipse Chaser Who Led an Expedition Behind Enemy Lines During the Revolutionary War
In 1780, astronomer Samuel Williams journeyed to British-controlled territory to view a total solar eclipse
Planning a Road Trip for the Total Solar Eclipse? Here's Why You Should Drive Extra Carefully
Scientists found a 31 percent increase in fatal car crashes around the 2017 total solar eclipse, akin to spikes in traffic risk on busy holiday weekends
You Can See a Rare, Bright Comet This Month. Will It Be Visible During the Solar Eclipse?
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is a frigid, volcanic ice ball that won’t pass near Earth again until 2095
How Ancient Civilizations Reacted to Eclipses
Communities may have thought the celestial events were messages from the gods, a reason to abandon a settlement or a cue to end a war
What It Takes to Complete the Ultimate Skywatching Endurance Challenge
The "Messier marathon" prompts space hobbyists to spot 110 celestial objects in one night, and the best time to try it is in March
How Ancient Texts Can Shed Light on Auroras
Documenting episodes of the phenomenon thousands of years ago may help us predict damaging solar storms in the future
The Decimal Point Is 150 Years Older Than Previously Thought, Medieval Manuscript Reveals
A Venetian merchant used the mathematical symbol while calculating the positions of planets between 1441 and 1450
The Six Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made by Exploring Venus
Our sister planet’s cloudy exterior gave it an aura of mystery—until humanity developed the technology to probe past the veil
How to Watch the Spectacular Total Solar Eclipse in April 2024
The moon will appear to completely block the sun's light across parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada on April 8—here's how to make the most of this rare celestial phenomenon
This Planned NASA Telescope May Help Us Identify Worlds Like Our Own
The innovative Habitable Worlds Observatory will offer ways to detect signs of life on other planets
Nine Dazzling Celestial Events to Watch in 2024
Skywatchers can expect spectacular meteor showers, a comet soaring past Earth and a long-anticipated total solar eclipse
See the 'Sparkling Snow Globe' Galaxy Captured by the Hubble Space Telescope
The new, holiday-inspired image features UGC 8091, an "irregular" dwarf galaxy in the constellation Virgo
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