Astronomy news, features and articles

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.
Discover more about astronomy
—35 jaw-dropping James Webb Space Telescope images
—What is the hottest place in the universe?
—Best telescopes 2024: Beginner and advanced scopes for stars, galaxies and nebulas
Latest about Astronomy
-
-
Jupiter: Facts about the biggest planet in our solar system
By Adam Mann Last updated
-
'I won't be surprised if this is happening throughout the universe': Mushball storms on Jupiter offer clues to atmospheres of distant planets
By Sharmila Kuthunur Published
-
James Webb telescope solves 'impossible' black hole mystery
By Shreejaya Karantha Published
-
Saturn: Facts about the ringed planet
By Adam Mann Published
-
Solar wind might be making water on the moon, groundbreaking NASA study reveals
By Damien Pine Published
-
World's largest solar telescope turns on powerful new camera, revealing breathtaking image of a continent-size sunspot
By Briley Lewis Published
-
Gamma-ray bursts reveal largest structure in the universe is bigger and closer to Earth than we knew: 'The jury is still out on what it all means.'
By Robert Lea Published
-
Explore Astronomy
Asteroids
-
-
NASA's Lucy spacecraft snaps first close-ups of weird peanut-shaped asteroid
By Patrick Pester Published
-
Asteroid 2024 YR4 surprises scientists with 'unusual' shape and could slaphsot the moon
By Patrick Pester Published
-
James Webb telescope takes emergency look at 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 ahead of close encounter in 2032
By Brandon Specktor Last updated
-
'Potentially hazardous' pyramid-size asteroid will make its closest flyby of Earth for more than 100 years this Wednesday
By Harry Baker Published
-
'That's Zero Folks!': Asteroid 2024 YR4 is no longer a hazard
By Patrick Pester Published
-
'Just the tip of the iceberg': Why risky asteroids like 2024 YR4 will pester Earth for decades to come
By Patrick Pester Published
-
Asteroid YR4 impact odds plummet as NASA changes threat level of 'city-killer'
By Patrick Pester Published
-
NASA just changed the odds of asteroid YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 yet again
By Patrick Pester Published
-
Chance of 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 smashing into Earth rises yet again to 3.1%, NASA reports
By Patrick Pester Published
-
Black Holes
-
-
James Webb telescope solves 'impossible' black hole mystery
By Shreejaya Karantha Published
-
Newly 'awakened' black hole is releasing 100 times more energy than scientists have seen before
By Elana Spivack Published
-
Incredible photo shows supermassive black hole blowing a jet of matter into interstellar space
By Samantha Mathewson Published
-
Black holes can destroy planets — but they can also lead us to thriving alien worlds. Here's how.
By David Garofalo Published
-
Black holes may obey the laws of physics after all, new theory suggests
By Robert Lea Published
-
Stephen Hawking's black hole theory has big implications for the shape of the universe, new study claims
By Andrey Feldman Published
-
Record-setting black hole 'echo' accidentally uncovered by high-school student
By Jenna Ahart Published
-
Is our universe trapped inside a black hole? This James Webb Space Telescope discovery might blow your mind
By Robert Lea Published
-
Evidence for Stephen Hawking's unproven black hole theory may have just been found — at the bottom of the sea
By Paul Sutter Published
-
Comets
-
-
Newly discovered comet SWAN just 'erupted' with a bright, icy burst. Is it a cold volcano?
By Harry Baker Published
-
Amateur astronomer discovers bright green comet SWAN25F — and you can see it too
By Harry Baker Published
-
Space photo of the week: The last view of the 'Great Comet of 2025' for half a million years
By Shreejaya Karantha Published
-
Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS' 'near-death encounter' with the sun may have blown it apart, new photos suggest
By Harry Baker Published
-
'Totally amazing' astronaut photo captures comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS shooting past Earth from the ISS
By Harry Baker Published
-
Rare comet could shine bright as Venus as it falls toward the sun: What to expect from Comet ATLAS (C/2024) G3
By Jamie Carter Published
-
Comets played a 'major' role in making life on Earth possible, new study hints
By Deepa Jain Published
-
Mysterious, city-size 'centaur' comet gets 300 times brighter after quadruple cold-volcanic eruption
By Harry Baker Published
-
'Crumb trails' of meteoroids could reveal potential 'planet-killer' comets years before they reach Earth
By Abha Jain Published
-
Cosmology
-
-
Gamma-ray bursts reveal largest structure in the universe is bigger and closer to Earth than we knew: 'The jury is still out on what it all means.'
By Robert Lea Published
-
Universe may revolve once every 500 billion years — and that could solve a problem that threatened to break cosmology
By Elana Spivack Published
-
The universe's 'missing matter' may have finally been found
By Joanna Thompson Published
-
Rare quadruple supernova on our 'cosmic doorstep' will shine brighter than the moon when it blows up in 23 billion years
By Harry Baker Published
-
Scientists discover smallest galaxy ever seen: 'It's like having a perfectly functional human being that's the size of a grain of rice'
By Robert Lea Published
-
Atacama Telescope reveals earliest-ever 'baby pictures' of the universe: 'We can see right back through cosmic history'
By Sharmila Kuthunur Published
-
'We had less than a 2% chance to find this': James Webb telescope uncovers baffling 'Big Wheel', one of the most massive galaxies in the early universe
By Themiya Nanayakkara Published
-
'I was astonished': Ancient galaxy discovered by James Webb telescope contains the oldest oxygen scientists have ever seen
By Ben Turner Published
-
Could the universe ever stop expanding? New theory proposes a cosmic 'off switch'
By Paul Sutter Published
-
Meteoroids
-
-
Lyrid meteor shower peaks after Easter: How to spot the most 'shooting stars'
By Jamie Carter Last updated
-
How a 'mudball' meteorite survived space to land in the jungles of Central America
By Keith Cooper Published
-
'It was so simple': How Antarctica's missing meteorites were discovered using a block of ice, a freezer and a lamp
By Joshua Howgego Published
-
Quadrantid meteor shower: How to watch the first 'shooting stars' of 2025 rain over Earth tonight
By Jamie Carter Published
-
Meteor strikes on the moon! Astronomer captures possible Geminid lunar impacts
By Daisy Dobrijevic Published
-
Ursid meteor shower 2024: Where and when to see the final meteor shower of the year
By Gretchen Rundorff Published
-
The Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight! How to see the year's last big display of 'shooting stars' before it's too late.
By Jamie Carter Last updated
-
Meteorite found in a drawer at university contains 700-million-year-old evidence of water on Mars
By Stephanie Pappas Published
-
Look for 'fireball' meteors over the US tonight as the North Taurid meteor shower peaks
By Jamie Carter Last updated
-
Planets
-
-
Jupiter: Facts about the biggest planet in our solar system
By Adam Mann Last updated
-
'I won't be surprised if this is happening throughout the universe': Mushball storms on Jupiter offer clues to atmospheres of distant planets
By Sharmila Kuthunur Published
-
Saturn: Facts about the ringed planet
By Adam Mann Published
-
Mysterious, out-of-place 'Skull' rock on Mars leaves scientists baffled
By Sharmila Kuthunur Published
-
Life on Mars could survive — so long as you're one of these strange, hybrid lifeforms
By Harry Baker Published
-
See Venus at its 'greatest brilliancy' this week — or wait until Sept. 2026
By Jamie Carter Published
-
Curiosity rover finds largest carbon chains on Mars from 3.7 billion-year-old rock
By Jess Thomson Published
-
NASA rover reveals signs of crucial life-sustaining process on Mars
By Ben Turner Published
-
Scientists reveal 'most promising yet' signs of alien life on planet k2-18b
By Jess Thomson Published
-
The Moon
-
-
A 'Pink Moon' rises this weekend – here's how to see it, and why it's so special
By Jamie Carter Published
-
Full moons of 2025: When is the next full moon?
By Jamie Carter Last updated
-
Space photo of the week: The last sight you see before dying on the moon
By Jamie Carter Published
-
Watch: Spacecraft films 'diamond ring' solar eclipse from the surface of the moon as 'blood moon' looms over Earth
By Brandon Specktor Published
-
'Blood moon' total lunar eclipse: Stunning photos of our celestial neighbor turning red over the Americas
By Patrick Pester Published
-
The 'blood moon' total lunar eclipse is visible in North America tonight — here's how to see it
By Jamie Carter Last updated
-
'We're disappointed in the outcome': NASA shares photo of sideways Intuitive Machines moon lander, which died 12 hours after touchdown
By Brandon Specktor Published
-
Where will the 'Blood Moon' total lunar eclipse be visible in March 2025?
By Jamie Carter Published
-
How to see tonight's full Snow Moon rise with the 'Heart of the Lion' before Valentine's Day
By Jamie Carter Last updated
-
The Sun
-
-
World's largest solar telescope turns on powerful new camera, revealing breathtaking image of a continent-size sunspot
By Briley Lewis Published
-
A mysterious, 100-year solar cycle may have just restarted
By Harry Baker Published
-
Northern lights ignite night sky after rare double solar eruption
By Patrick Pester Published
-
Has the sun already passed solar maximum?
By Ryan French Published
-
NASA's daredevil solar spacecraft survives 2nd close flyby of our sun
By Sharmila Kuthunur Published
-
Watch eerie 'UFOs' and a solar 'cyclone' take shape in stunning new ESA video of the sun
By Harry Baker Published
-
See spectacular photos from Saturday's partial solar eclipse
By Skyler Ware Published
-
Powerful X-class solar flare caught on camera erupting from sun's surface
By Jess Thomson Published
-
March 29 solar eclipse: Don't miss the rare sunrise solar eclipse over North America tomorrow
By Jamie Carter Last updated
-
More about Astronomy
-
-
Gamma-ray bursts reveal largest structure in the universe is bigger and closer to Earth than we knew: 'The jury is still out on what it all means.'
By Robert Lea Published
-
NASA's Lucy spacecraft snaps first close-ups of weird peanut-shaped asteroid
By Patrick Pester Published
-
Extreme 'zombie star' capable of ripping human atoms apart is shooting through the Milky Way — and nobody knows where it came from
By Harry Baker Published
-