LATEST NEWS
Scientists Find Organics on Ceres
The Dawn spacecraft has detected organic compounds on the dwarf planet Ceres.
NASA Narrows Down Mars 2020 Rover Landing Sites
Three possible landing sites are now in the running for NASA’s Mars 2020 rover.
Hubble Spies Faint Galaxies, Bountiful in Early Universe
Hubble has spotted more than 100 small, faint galaxies in the young universe, common as dust bunnies but previously out of reach of even the best telescopes.
Scientists Recreate Space Weather of 400 Years Ago
If the Sun goes spotless in decades to come, as some scientists are predicting it might, what does it mean for Earth? Scientists are studying the past to predict the future of space weather.
Meteorites Date Demise of Solar Nebula
A study of ancient meteorites has refined the date for the dissolution of the solar nebula, the cloud of dust and gas that shrouded our Sun in its earliest days.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, February 17 – 25
Last-quarter Moon will occur before dawn on Sunday the 19th — look for it in the south-southeast. Antares and upper Scorpius are below and to the lower right of it, respectively, and Saturn is farther to the Moon’s lower left, as shown here.
Comet 45P Returns to Dark Skies
After battling moonlight, Comet 45P/H-M-P returns for a final go-round in dark skies. Even better, it’s up by 10 o’clock!
Hidden Gems in Common Deep-Sky Objects
Many of the deep-sky objects we point our telescopes toward have pleasant surprises, some in plain sight, others hidden and more challenging. Let me introduce you to a few.
Tour February’s Sky: How To Find Monoceros
Download our monthly astronomy podcast to spot Venus and Mars in the west — and a celestial unicorn hiding in plain sight among the stars.