Astronomy

An STS-125 crew member onboard the space shuttle Atlantis snaps a still photo of the Hubble Space Telescope following grapple of the giant observatory by the shuttle.

Science

The Hubble Space Telescope Still Works Great — Except When It Doesn't

1:39pm September 08, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

None of us is perfect, and sometimes the Hubble Space Telescope just flat-out points to the wrong spot in the sky. This has been happening more than ever in the last couple of years.

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Part of the Perseid meteor shower, seen in Salgotarjan, Hungary, on Aug. 13. Two astronomers predict the Alpha Monocerotids showers will be a more intense showing.

A Rare Meteor Shower May Grace The Skies Tonight

5:51pm November 21, 2019

by Paolo Zialcita

Some scientists predict the Alpha Monocerotids meteor shower will be visible at 11:50 p.m. ET. However, one NASA expert is skeptical of the forecast.

One of the 54 steerable dishes that make up much of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in Chile's Atacama Desert. This one is 39 feet in diameter.

Science

Chile And Telescopes Are A Match Made In Heaven

7:23pm August 02, 2019

by Joe Palca

The South American country is home to the Andes Mountains and the Atacama Desert, places that have some of the stillest and driest air in the world. That makes them ideal for astronomy.

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This image recorded by the Hubble telescope on July 10, 2001 shows two clusters of stars in a neighboring galaxy.

Nancy Grace Roman, 'Mother Of Hubble' Space Telescope, Has Died, At Age 93

2:04pm December 30, 2018

by Russell Lewis

Roman was one of the first female executives at NASA, its first chief of astronomy and she played an instrumental role in making the Hubble Space Telescope a reality. She died on Dec. 25.

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The 46P/Wirtanen comet, as seen through a telescope in France on Dec. 3, is currently making an unusually close pass by Earth. It will be visible, if weather allows, until Dec. 22.

Science

Green 'Christmas Comet' Visible In Night Sky

11:29am December 17, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

The comet 46P/Wirtanen just made its closest approach to Earth in centuries. No word on the whereabouts of Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Cupid, Donner or Blitzen (and Rudolph).

A Perseid meteor crosses along the Milky Way in August 2017, illuminating the dark sky near Comillas, in northern Spain.

Science

Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend — Just Look Up

8:00pm August 10, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

The shower will peak late Sunday night and early Monday morning, but you can also catch a good number of meteors in the middle of the night on Saturday. Find a dark spot and let your eyes adjust.

The European spacecraft known as Gaia has unveiled this new view of the Milky Way.

Science

You Are Here: Scientists Unveil Precise Map Of More Than A Billion Stars

4:34pm April 25, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The European Space Agency has released a chart of the exact positions of many stars in the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies. But the map only shows a small fraction of what's out there.

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Artist's rendering of how the first stars in the universe may have looked.

Science

Did Dark Matter Make The Early Universe Chill Out?

1:49pm February 28, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A new study suggests that the early universe got an unexpectedly cold start, and that dark matter may be to blame.

Science

Astronomers Find Huge Stars More Common Than Previously Thought

5:58pm January 04, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A survey of a neighboring galaxy turned up 30 percent more super-heavy stars than expected. The discovery has implications for how stars form.

Cambodians admire the Nov. 2016 supermoon, which was closer to earth than its 2017 counterpart - visible Dec. 3.

Science

Dance By The Light Of The 2017 Supermoon: The How And When

8:08pm November 27, 2017

by Rebecca Feldhaus Adams

The last and only visible such moon of 2017 will appear Dec. 3. The best time to see it is at sunset or the following morning at sunrise, when the moon is near the horizon.