Astronomy

The Birmingham Central Mosque in the United Kingdom.

How Astronomy Cameras Are Helping British Muslims Schedule Morning Prayers

The cameras would help track exactly when the sun rises

ALMA Reveals Planets Born Earlier Than We Thought

In 2014, astronomer David Wilmer aimed the ALMA Array at a young star 450 light years away

The Biggest Supermoon in 68 Years Will Leave You “Moonstruck”

It hasn't been this close since 1948 and won't be again for the next 18 years

Artist concept of a binary system similar to the one that originated the nova Sagittarii 2015 N.2.

Most Lithium in the Universe Is Forged in Exploding Stars

The recurring explosions of white dwarf stars produce the vast majority of this important element

Region R18 in the Carina Nebula

Stunning Images Capture the Carina Nebula's "Pillars of Destruction"

Caught by ESO's Very Large Telescope, the ten pillars of gas and dust are a hazy star nursery 7,500 light years away

Asteroid 2016 VA just before it passed into the Earth's shadow.

Astronomers Just Watched an Asteroid Skim Through Earth’s Shadow

The short video was tricky to shoot

An artist's rendering of the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope atop the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea.

Canary Islands Selected as Alternative Spot for the Thirty Meter Telescope

This alternate fate could help smooth tensions over the embattled instrument

This Puerto Rican Telescope Was Built in a Massive Sinkhole

In 1958, the Pentagon wanted to build a 1,000-foot-long telescope for its ballistic missile program

Two natural color images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft show the changing appearance of Saturn's north polar region between 2012 and 2016.

The Swirling Storm Above Saturn’s North Pole Changed Colors

The years-long shift may be a sign of changing seasons

A new map reveals the most detailed picture of hydrogen atoms in the Milky Way ever made.

This Breathtaking Map Traces Hydrogen Throughout the Milky Way

Scientists have made the most detailed map of our home galaxy’s hydrogen currently possible

Uranus May Have Been Hiding Two Moons

Researchers spotted ripples in the planet's rings, which may be tracks left from two tiny moons

A before-and-after composite shows the lunar surface with a surprising starburst-like jet pattern.

Craters Are Forming on the Moon Faster Than Anyone Predicted

New research digs into the changes on the pockmarked lunar surface

Hubble's eXtreme Deep Field Image

There Are Ten Times as Many Galaxies as Previously Thought

By these latest estimates, two trillion galaxies are scattered throughout the vast universe

The new dwarf planet—too small to join the ranks of our solar system's eight planets—orbits the sun roughly twice as far away as Pluto.

Say Hello to Our Solar System’s Newest Dwarf Planet

Spotting the dwarf planet could help in the search for Planet Nine

October Skies Herald Meteor Showers Throughout the Month

The Draconid and Orionid meteor showers will streak across night skies this month

Our part of the Milky Way is more impressive than anyone thought.

Our Galactic Neighborhood Is Bigger Than Scientists Once Thought

Goodbye spur, hello spiral arm

China Switches on the World's Largest Radio Telescope

Measuring 1,640 feet across, the massive device will scour the skies for signs of life and new galaxies

A 19th century illustration of the zodiacal constellation Ophiuchus.

NASA Didn’t Change Your Astrological Sign, Blame It on Earth's Wobbly Rotation

Astrology is not a science

The forces that formed Pluto's heart may not be romantic, but the feature was love at first sight for scientists.

Scientists Finally Figured Out Why Pluto Has That Icy Heart

The dwarf planet’s geography, atmosphere and chemistry helped form its most famous feature

A harvest moon peeking through the trees on September 8, 2014.

This Weekend's Stargazing Triple Threat: Harvest Moon, Eclipse and Possible Supermoon

This will be the last harvest moon eclipse until 2024

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