Astronomy
The Equinox Is Not What You Think It Is
The equinox is not when day and night have equal lengths. Instead it’s something more nuanced but no less glorious
Astronomy197 articles archived since 1845
Astronomy
NASA’s Gorgeous New Moon Image Paints Shackleton Crater in Light and Shadow
A new NASA instrument allows researchers to view the bright and permanently shadowed portions of the moon’s Shackleton Crater at the same time
Astronomy
Can You Spot a Satellite?
Thousands of spacecraft circle Earth. Seeing them from the ground is surprisingly easy—and a lot of fun
Astronomy
The Science of Shooting Stars
Earth is bombarded by millions of bits of cosmic debris every day. Here’s how to distinguish between the different types
Astronomy
Mistranslation of Newton’s First Law Discovered after Nearly 300 Years
A new interpretation of Isaac Newton’s writings clarifies what the father of classical mechanics meant in his first law of motion
Astronomy
What Color Is the Sun?
Yellow, white or maybe even green—the sun’s hue depends on how you see it
Astronomy
The Last Super Blue Moon until 2037 Rises Tonight. Here’s How to See It
August gets not only a second full moon but a rare super blue moon
Astronomy
Will the Universe Ever Stop Expanding?
Scientists debate what the future of the cosmos looks like and whether space will ever stop getting bigger and bigger
Astronomy
Rare ‘Pinwheel’ Stars Are a Beautiful Astronomical Puzzle
The doomed class of stars named Wolf-Rayets produce mysterious pinwheel shapes
Astronomy
How to Survive Mercury in Retrograde
If you want to make it through the trials and tribulations of Mercury in retrograde, it’s easy: don’t do anything. You’ll be fine
Astronomy
Arecibo Observatory Shuts Down Its Science
Although Arecibo Observatory is slated to become an education center, astronomers hope research might one day return to the site
Astronomy
Earendel, the Most Distant Known Star, Reveals Its Secrets to JWST
A new view of a record-shattering distant star shows it to be twice as hot as our sun and likely accompanied by a stellar companion
Astronomy
Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend in a Stargazing Must-See
All you need to see one of the year’s best meteor showers is a clear, dark sky—and patience
Astronomy
How Seeing the Milky Way Helped Us Discover the Whole Universe
Marvel for a moment at the Milky Way’s night-sky spectacle—and the scientific revolutions it has sparked
Astronomy
Euclid Space Telescope Snaps Spectacular First Images
The European Space Agency's ambitious Euclid space telescope is on its way to decoding the secrets of dark matter and dark energy
Astronomy
Can You Decode an Alien Message?
An artist, a programmer and a scientist have created a simulation of extraterrestrial communication to test Earthlings’ ability to understand it
Astronomy
What’s the Faintest Star You Can See in the Sky?
The “magnitude scale” for measuring stellar brightness also reveals the limits of naked-eye stargazing
Astronomy
The Most Surprising Discoveries in Physics
Experts weigh in on the most shocking, paradigm-shifting and delightful findings in the history of physics
Astronomy
‘Millennium Falcon’ Comet Sprouts Icy Wings as It Loops around the Sun
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, headed for its closest encounter with the sun next year, has started to heat up, leading to a cinematic outburst of icy volcanism
Astronomy
Only 26 Black Women Have Ever Become Astrophysicists in the U.S. Here’s One’s Story
Astrophysicist Aomawa Shields recounts her alternative career path in a new memoir about life, space and motherhood
