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Outer Space

A new cluster of sunspots, visible in the top left part of the image, might indicate a new period of activity for the sun.

The Sun Produced Its Biggest Solar Flare Since 2017

The activity might be a sign of the sun entering into a new period of activity—or not, NASA says

This month's selections include The Beauty and the Terror, Feasting Wild and Splash.

Books of the Month

The Dangers of Space, Military Rivals and Other New Books to Read

These five recent releases may have been lost in the news cycle

At the center of the swirl, a bright yellow spot is has a characteristic twist that indicates the birth of a new exoplanet.

New Research

This Very Large Telescope Snapped an Exoplanet’s Baby Photos

The fiery swirl looks like a “Doctor Who” title card, but it’s actually a photograph of a planet-in-progress 520 light year away

Mars’ Chryse Planitia region is peppered with small hills topped with craters that might be mud volcanoes.

New Research

Martian Mud Probably Looks Like Lava

Muddy water that drains smoothly on Earth leaves a lumpy trail under Mars-like conditions

This map shows the Long March 5B's projected orbit before it reentered Earth's atmosphere.

A Huge Hunk of Space Debris Fell to Earth

The 20-ton object, part of a Chinese rocket, is one of the largest ever to fall uncontrolled from space

Artist’s impression of the triple system with the closest black hole.

Astronomers Discover the Closest Known Black Hole

The newfound ‘invisible’ object is only 1,000 light years from home

A meteorite found in the Sahara Desert, valued at more than $2.5 million.

Christie’s Auction House Offers 29-Pound Hunk of Moon for $2.5 Million

The rock crash-landed in the Sahara Desert after a presumed collision chipped it off the lunar surface

Stream the free concert on YouTube tonight at 8 p.m. EST.

Virtual Travel

How to Watch the National Air and Space Museum’s Free Virtual Concert

Catch the musical event, featuring Sting, Death Cab for Cutie front man Ben Gibbard and other artists, on YouTube tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern time

Venus' volatile atmosphere expands in the sun, creating a low pressure area that drives strong winds around the planet.

New Research

The Forces Behind Venus’ Super-Rotating Atmosphere

Earth’s sister planet spins slowly, but its atmosphere whips around at high speeds

The Unified Geologic Map of the Moon, showing the geology of the Moon’s near side (left) and far side (right).

Gorgeous New Map of the Moon Is Most Detailed to Date

The rendering builds on decades of data that dates back to the Apollo missions, which happened some fifty years ago

For Earth Day, NASA and Lego challenged families to build models of planets as a way to learn through play.

Education During Coronavirus

NASA and Lego Host ‘Build a Planet’ Challenge

The event was part of the company’s week of #LetsBuildTogether challenges

On April 24, 1991—a year after it was launched into space—Hubble snapped a shot of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant, a relic of a star that exploded in a massive cataclysm about 15,000 years ago.

Education During Coronavirus

This NASA Website Shows What the Hubble Telescope Saw on Your Birthday

The snazzy search is part of the telescope’s 30th anniversary celebration

Artist's conception of SN2016aps, a supernova that was brighter and released more energy than any other ever observed by astronomers.

New Research

Astronomers Spy Brightest Supernova Ever Seen

A star 100-times more massive than the sun exploded with 10-times more energy than a normal-sized supernova

An artist's impression of 'Oumuamua, first spotted in 2017.

Scientists Suggest New Origin Story for ‘Oumuamua, Our Solar System’s First Interstellar Visitor

Perhaps the cigar-shaped object is a shard from a shredded planetary body, a computer simulation suggests

Danish physician Nadja Albertsen spent a year at Concordia Research Station in Antarctica.

Covid-19

Ten Tips From Scientists Who Have Spent Months in Isolation

Find a hobby, for starters, and don’t forget the mission, say scientists who have worked at remote research stations

Hayabusa2 deployed a camera to film the plume of regolith thrown up by the impact.

New Research

Japan’s Experiment to Calculate an Asteroid’s Age Was a Smashing Success

The spacecraft Hayabusa2 hurled a four-pound copper ball toward the asteroid’s surface at about 4,500 miles an hour to create an artificial crater

The Vatican Museums (pictured here), the Anne Frank House and the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City are among the many cultural institutions with online offerings.

Virtual Travel

Ten Museums You Can Virtually Visit

Museums are closing their doors amid the coronavirus crisis, but many offer digital exhibitions visitors can browse from the comfort of home

The EVA of Astronauts James Irwin, or Apollo XV EVA, Pierre Mion.

I Was Among the Lucky Few to Walk in Space

On July 31, 1971, Al Worden performed the first deep-space extra-vehicular activity. “No one in all of history” saw what he saw that day

None

Neil Armstrong’s Spacesuit Was Made by a Bra Manufacturer

This wearable spacecraft let humans take one giant leap away from Earth

Jupiter's moon Europa may have the ingredients necessary for hosting life: liquid water, an energy source and organic compounds.

We’re Better Equipped to Find Extraterrestrial Life Now Than Ever Before

Astronomers have more places to look for signs of intelligent life and more advanced tools to find it

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