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A passing star may have kicked the solar system's weirdest moons into place
By Abha Jain published
A passing star may have kicked the weird moons of giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn into place, new research suggests.
'Exceptional' eclipse image and stunning 'Dolphin Head nebula' among 2024's Astronomy Photographer of the Year winners
By Sascha Pare published
A composite image of an annular solar eclipse showing Baily's Beads won top prize at the 2024 Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest.
Boeing Starliner will return from space without a crew, NASA announces in long-awaited decision
By Ben Turner published
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will not return to Earth on the troubled Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Instead, NASA will bring them home in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX vehicle, while Starliner falls to Earth uncrewed.
Some black holes have a 'heartbeat' — and astronomers may finally know why
By Paul Sutter published
A tiny fraction of known black holes emit X-ray signals that resemble a human "heartbeat." Now, new research may finally explain the strange phenomenon.
Auroras headed to the US again in aftermath of gargantuan 'X-class' solar flare
By Brandon Specktor published
Auroras may once again be visible in northern parts of the U.S. this weekend as Earth braces for impact from a powerful coronal mass ejection.
What is the coldest place in the solar system?
By Joe Phelan last updated
What is the solar system's coldest spot and how does the coldest place on Earth compare?
'Severe' G4 geomagnetic storm strikes Earth, making widespread auroras likely
By Brandon Specktor published
Earth was hit by a "severe" G4-class geomagnetic storm on Monday morning, increasing the chances of auroras in the northern U.S. tonight.
Space photo of the week: A cosmic 'fossil' holding some of the oldest stars in the universe
By Jamie Carter published
The Hubble Space Telescope zooms in on a dense ball of millions of stars within a galaxy orbiting the Milky Way. Its ancient origins raise big questions about how galaxies form and grow.
'Dark comets' may be a much bigger threat to Earth than we thought, new study warns
By Paul Sutter published
A strange class of space rock known as a "dark comet" has qualities of both asteroids and comets — and the hard-to-spot objects may pose a larger threat to Earth than we thought, according to new research.
July's full 'Buck Moon' rises this week — and signals a big lunar transition is on the way
By Jamie Carter published
July's full moon — also known as the Buck Moon, the Thunder Moon and the Hay Moon — will be at its fullest on the night of July 21. It's the last "regular" full moon before a parade of four consecutive "supermoons" light up the sky.
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