Astronomy

My God, it's full of gas.

Marvel at the Newest Map of the Milky Way

It is the most complete map of the cold galaxy ever made

Happy 543rd Birthday, Nicolaus Copernicus

The Renaissance scientist set the stage for modern astronomy

This artist’s impression shows the super-Earth 55 Cancri e in front of its parent star.

Hubble Gets a Whiff of Super-Earth Atmosphere For The First Time

The toasty planet’s atmosphere is similar to a gas giant’s

Happy 452nd Birthday, Galileo

The revolutionary who helped shape modern astronomy

An illustration of how gravitational waves ripple through the fabric of space-time.

Five Things to Know About Gravitational Waves

The internet is abuzz with rumors of a big announcement—here are a few things you should know to decipher the news

An artist's rendering of the galaxies hiding beyond the veil of the Milky Way.

Hundreds of Galaxies Were Found Hiding Behind Our Milky Way

The objects may help explain why our galaxy and its neighbors are hurtling towards a seemingly blank zone called the Great Attractor

This cuneiform tablet may re-write the history of math and astronomy.

Babylonians Were Using Geometry Centuries Earlier Than Thought

Ancient astronomers were tracking planets using math believed to have first appeared in 14th-century Europe

An artist's rendering of Planet Nine, looking back toward the Sun. This depiction is of a gaseous planet, like Uranus and Neptune, with lightning brightening the clouds on the dark side.

Evidence Stacks Up for a Planet Beyond Pluto

A new paper provides the strongest evidence yet for a real Planet X

The five planets will be visible to the naked eye, but a telescope can add another layer of delight

Don't Miss This Month's Rare Planetary Alignment

Five planets will appear together in the sky—all visible to the naked eye

Colored images show the bright supernova as seen by two different telescopes (the Dark Energy Camera on the left and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network 1-meter telescope on the right).

The Brightest Supernova Ever Observed Tests the Limits of Physics

This explosion blazes about 570 billion times brighter than our Sun, according to researchers

Star Light, Star Bright, Here's Why the Heavens Look Brighter Tonight

It’s not just because the air is clearer

The data readout of the "Wow! signal"

Was the "Wow!" Signal From Aliens or a Comet Flyby?

The 1977 blast from space is often cited as our best evidence of alien contact, but a news study suggests it may have just been comets

A meteorite discovered in the Australian ouback on New Year's Eve.

4.5 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Found in the Australian Desert

This 3.7 pound rock could help scientists learn about Earth's origins

Globular cluster 47 Tucanae

Old, Dense Star Clusters Might Be the Place to Look for Complex Alien Life

The age and density of globular star clusters could give alien life both the time and resources necessary to brew complex society

Zodiac woodcut

How Are Horoscopes Still a Thing?

No, there’s no science behind an astrologer’s prediction for 2016, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be accurate

A logarithmic scale captures the whole universe

This Image of the Universe Captures Its Immensity

Comets, planets, galaxies and the cosmic web crowd together in this portrait of everything known

A copy of a photograph of a solar eclipse taken by the English astronomer Arthur Eddington in 1919.

Long-Lost Photos of Eclipses and Stars Found in an Observatory Basement

The stash of old negatives includes a 97-year-old copy of the photo that helped confirm the Theory of Relativity

The "Dog Star" Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky.

Night Sky Wonders to Ring in the New Year

The star Sirius is high in the sky, and comet Catalina is at its brightest

What Exactly Was the Christmas Star?

The Star of Bethlehem may not have actually been a star

Astronomers have discovered strange chemicals in interstellar objects like the Horsehead Nebula.

Scientists Are Searching for Space Chemicals That Could Never Exist on Earth

Bizarre chemicals in deep space could help explain the origins of life

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