Astrophysics | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/astrophysics/RSS feed for AstrophysicsenMon, 01 Jun 2026 18:44:20 +0000A Bright Meteor Lit Up the New England Sky Before Exploding With a Loud Boom—and Its Pieces May Have Landed in Cape Cod Bayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-bright-meteor-lit-up-the-new-england-sky-before-exploding-with-a-loud-boom-and-its-pieces-may-have-landed-in-cape-cod-bay-180988869/People reported seeing the glowing space rock or hearing or feeling its breakup from Delaware to Montreal. Experts estimate that it was about three feet wide and traveling at 75,000 miles per hour when it broke apartMon, 01 Jun 2026 18:44:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-bright-meteor-lit-up-the-new-england-sky-before-exploding-with-a-loud-boom-and-its-pieces-may-have-landed-in-cape-cod-bay-180988869/This Tiny Celestial Body Past Pluto Shouldn't Have an Atmosphere—but Astronomers Say They May Have Detected Onehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-tiny-celestial-body-past-pluto-shouldnt-have-an-atmosphere-but-astronomers-say-they-may-have-detected-one-180988690/Worlds this small and distant are thought to be too cold and have too little surface gravity to hold onto gases. But the findings suggest that icy, rocky objects in the solar system's outer reaches are more dynamic than we thoughtFri, 08 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-tiny-celestial-body-past-pluto-shouldnt-have-an-atmosphere-but-astronomers-say-they-may-have-detected-one-180988690/Could Pluto Once Again Be Considered a Planet? New Remarks From NASA's Administrator Highlight an Enduring Debate Among Scientistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-pluto-once-again-be-considered-a-planet-new-remarks-from-nasas-administrator-highlight-an-enduring-debate-among-scientists-180988671/Two decades ago, the International Astronomical Union—which defines and names celestial bodies—redefined the criteria for being a planet, putting Pluto into the new category of dwarf planetTue, 05 May 2026 15:56:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-pluto-once-again-be-considered-a-planet-new-remarks-from-nasas-administrator-highlight-an-enduring-debate-among-scientists-180988671/Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Came From an Extremely Cold, Lonely Region of the Milky Way Galaxy, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-came-from-an-extremely-cold-lonely-region-of-the-milky-way-galaxy-new-research-suggests-180988625/Astronomers analyzed the vapors coming off the comet when it neared the sun and found it had a lot of "heavy" water. That hints it grew up in a frigid planetary system, possibly before its home star formedMon, 27 Apr 2026 19:26:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-came-from-an-extremely-cold-lonely-region-of-the-milky-way-galaxy-new-research-suggests-180988625/Look Up This Week to See the Peak of the Lyrid Meteor Shower. Humans Have Documented This Dazzling Annual Display for 2,700 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/look-up-this-week-to-see-the-peak-of-the-lyrid-meteor-shower-humans-have-documented-this-dazzling-display-for-2700-years-180988578/During the wee hours of April 22, moonset times will give stargazers in much of the United States a solid stretch of dark sky before sunriseMon, 20 Apr 2026 19:48:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/look-up-this-week-to-see-the-peak-of-the-lyrid-meteor-shower-humans-have-documented-this-dazzling-display-for-2700-years-180988578/Medieval Writings and Tree Rings Helped Researchers Track a Solar Storm From 800 Years Ago and Reconstruct Past Solar Cycleshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-writings-and-tree-rings-helped-researchers-track-a-solar-storm-from-800-years-ago-and-reconstruct-past-solar-cycles-180988546/Diary entries by the Japanese poet Fujiwara no Teika, along with other historical sources from across Asia and Europe, played pivotal roles in a new studyThu, 16 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-writings-and-tree-rings-helped-researchers-track-a-solar-storm-from-800-years-ago-and-reconstruct-past-solar-cycles-180988546/Lightning Strikes on Jupiter Are 100 Times as Powerful as Those on Earth, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lightning-strikes-on-jupiter-are-100-times-as-powerful-as-those-on-earth-a-new-study-suggests-180988455/Scientists finally have a clearer picture of the gas giant's intense stormsMon, 06 Apr 2026 19:04:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lightning-strikes-on-jupiter-are-100-times-as-powerful-as-those-on-earth-a-new-study-suggests-180988455/