Staring up into the night sky, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite expanse of space, with every pinprick of light in the vast canopy of darkness a star holding secrets forged by 13.8 billion years of the universe's existence. And yet, despite its great age and the unfathomable distance between us and even our nearest neighbor, through the study of astronomy we are able to understand more about the world beyond our atmosphere.
Join our expert writers and editors as we reveal the greatest mysteries in cosmology, such as how black holes form, and explore celestial bodies like exoplanets and nebulas, that are scattered throughout our universe. You will also discover how scientists are pushing the boundaries of space exploration using observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope with the latest astronomy news, features and articles.
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Latest about Astronomy
Earth's moon could've had Saturn-like rings, new study hints
A new study implies that in the past, moons in our solar system may have had rings just like planets do — deepening the mystery of why no ringed moons exist today.
How to watch the full Wolf Moon 'swallow' Mars in the sky tonight — no telescope required
Tonight (Jan. 13), bright Mars will disappear behind the full Wolf Moon for several hours before reappearing on the other side. It's the only lunar occultation of Mars visible from the U.S. this year. Here's how to get the most out of it.
See Mercury's frigid north pole in extraordinary new images from the BepiColombo spacecraft
A joint Japanese-European mission to Mercury just made its sixth flyby of the planet, revealing stunning close-ups of the permanently shadowed craters at Mercury's north pole.
Giant 'kidney beans' spotted in Mars satellite images could point to signs of water and life
A NASA satellite has spotted frozen "kidney beans" on Mars' sand dunes trapped in place until springtime. Photographing them can help us determine if there was ever enough water on Mars to sustain life.
Space photo of the week: The tilted spiral galaxy that took Hubble 23 years to capture
In this special Hubble image 23 years in the making, the sparkling spiral galaxy UGC 10043 reveals the secrets of its unusually big bulge.
Enormous, mountain-size asteroid will be visible from Earth this weekend in rare 'once in a decade' event
The enormous near-Earth asteroid (887) Alinda has made its closest approach to our planet in decades, and it's about to peak in brightness in a rare once-in-a-decade event. Here's how to watch it live this weekend.
X-class solar flares hit a new record in 2024 and could spike further this year — but the sun isn't entirely to blame, experts say
There were significantly more X-class solar flares in 2024 than any other year for at least three decades. The arrival of solar maximum was a key reason for the spike, but other factors were also at play.
Mars at opposition: See the Red Planet at its best and brightest this week — or wait until 2027
As Mars approaches opposition this week, it will become a dazzling spectacle in the night sky. See it at its best now, or wait until 2027.
