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
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Watch eerie 'UFOs' and a solar 'cyclone' take shape in stunning new ESA video of the sun
By Harry Baker Published
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Black holes can destroy planets — but they can also lead us to thriving alien worlds. Here's how.
By David Garofalo Published
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James Webb telescope takes emergency look at 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 ahead of close encounter in 2032
By Brandon Specktor Published
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See spectacular photos from Saturday's partial solar eclipse
By Skyler Ware Published
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Powerful X-class solar flare caught on camera erupting from sun's surface
By Jess Thomson Published
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James Webb telescope could find signs of life on alien 'hycean' ocean worlds
By Paul Sutter Published
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Black holes may obey the laws of physics after all, new theory suggests
By Robert Lea Published
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Explore Astronomy
Asteroids
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James Webb telescope takes emergency look at 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 ahead of close encounter in 2032
By Brandon Specktor Published
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'Potentially hazardous' pyramid-size asteroid will make its closest flyby of Earth for more than 100 years this Wednesday
By Harry Baker Published
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'That's Zero Folks!': Asteroid 2024 YR4 is no longer a hazard
By Patrick Pester Published
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'Just the tip of the iceberg': Why risky asteroids like 2024 YR4 will pester Earth for decades to come
By Patrick Pester Published
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Asteroid YR4 impact odds plummet as NASA changes threat level of 'city-killer'
By Patrick Pester Published
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NASA just changed the odds of asteroid YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 yet again
By Patrick Pester Published
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Chance of 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 smashing into Earth rises yet again to 3.1%, NASA reports
By Patrick Pester Published
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Potentially hazardous asteroids: How many dangerous space rocks lurk near Earth — and can we stop them?
By JoAnna Wendel Last updated
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In emergency decision, James Webb telescope will study 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 before its close approach to Earth
By Brandon Specktor Published
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Black Holes
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Black holes can destroy planets — but they can also lead us to thriving alien worlds. Here's how.
By David Garofalo Published
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Black holes may obey the laws of physics after all, new theory suggests
By Robert Lea Published
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Stephen Hawking's black hole theory has big implications for the shape of the universe, new study claims
By Andrey Feldman Published
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Record-setting black hole 'echo' accidentally uncovered by high-school student
By Jenna Ahart Published
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Is our universe trapped inside a black hole? This James Webb Space Telescope discovery might blow your mind
By Robert Lea Published
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Evidence for Stephen Hawking's unproven black hole theory may have just been found — at the bottom of the sea
By Paul Sutter Published
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Unproven Einstein theory of 'gravitational memory' may be real after all, new study hints
By Andrey Feldman Published
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'Cosmic Horseshoe' may contain black hole the size of 36 billion suns — one of the largest ever detected
By Ben Turner Published
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Scientists may have just discovered 300 of the rarest black holes in the universe
By Ben Turner Published
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Comets
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Space photo of the week: The last view of the 'Great Comet of 2025' for half a million years
By Shreejaya Karantha Published
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Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS' 'near-death encounter' with the sun may have blown it apart, new photos suggest
By Harry Baker Published
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'Totally amazing' astronaut photo captures comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS shooting past Earth from the ISS
By Harry Baker Published
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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
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Comets played a 'major' role in making life on Earth possible, new study hints
By Deepa Jain Published
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Mysterious, city-size 'centaur' comet gets 300 times brighter after quadruple cold-volcanic eruption
By Harry Baker Published
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'Crumb trails' of meteoroids could reveal potential 'planet-killer' comets years before they reach Earth
By Abha Jain Published
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Watch the 'Halloween comet' ATLAS burn up as it flies into the sun
By Brett Tingley Published
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Rare illusion gives 'once-in-a-lifetime' comet a seemingly impossible 2nd tail after closest approach to Earth for 80,000 years
By Harry Baker Published
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Cosmology
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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
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Atacama Telescope reveals earliest-ever 'baby pictures' of the universe: 'We can see right back through cosmic history'
By Sharmila Kuthunur Published
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'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
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'I was astonished': Ancient galaxy discovered by James Webb telescope contains the oldest oxygen scientists have ever seen
By Ben Turner Published
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Could the universe ever stop expanding? New theory proposes a cosmic 'off switch'
By Paul Sutter Published
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The universe's water is billions of years older than scientists thought — and may be nearly as old as the Big Bang itself
By Joanna Thompson Published
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Most powerful cosmic rays in the universe start shockingly close to Earth, paper claims
By Paul Sutter Published
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Euclid telescope spots rare 'Einstein ring' hiding near Earth — and an ancient, unnamed galaxy behind it
By Ben Turner Published
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A cosmic 'CT scan' shows the universe is far more complex than expected
By Robert Lea Published
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Meteoroids
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'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
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Quadrantid meteor shower: How to watch the first 'shooting stars' of 2025 rain over Earth tonight
By Jamie Carter Published
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Meteor strikes on the moon! Astronomer captures possible Geminid lunar impacts
By Daisy Dobrijevic Published
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Ursid meteor shower 2024: Where and when to see the final meteor shower of the year
By Gretchen Rundorff Published
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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
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Meteorite found in a drawer at university contains 700-million-year-old evidence of water on Mars
By Stephanie Pappas Published
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Look for 'fireball' meteors over the US tonight as the North Taurid meteor shower peaks
By Jamie Carter Last updated
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Most of Earth's meteorites may have come from the same 3 spots
By Conor Feehly Published
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Watch huge fireball blaze over Lake Erie in stunning videos
By Sascha Pare Published
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Planets
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James Webb telescope could find signs of life on alien 'hycean' ocean worlds
By Paul Sutter Published
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Perseverance rover spots peculiar 'spider egg' rock on Mars — and scientists have no idea how it got there
By Damien Pine Published
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James Webb telescope captures auroras on Neptune for first time ever
By Skyler Ware Published
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Longest molecules ever found on Mars may be remnants of building blocks of life
By Jess Thomson Published
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'Extremely Large Telescope' being built in Chile could detect signs of alien life in a single night
By Brian Koberlein Published
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Venus goes 'new moon' as it passes between Earth and the sun this weekend
By Harry Baker Published
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4 tiny, Earth-like planets found circling 2nd-closest star system to us — and could be visited by future human generations
By Harry Baker Published
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James Webb telescope spots 'rogue' planet with a cake-like atmosphere barrelling through space without a star
By Abha Jain Published
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Saturn gains 128 new moons, giving it more than the rest of the solar system combined
By Ben Turner Published
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The Moon
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Space photo of the week: The last sight you see before dying on the moon
By Jamie Carter Published
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Watch: Spacecraft films 'diamond ring' solar eclipse from the surface of the moon as 'blood moon' looms over Earth
By Brandon Specktor Published
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'Blood moon' total lunar eclipse: Stunning photos of our celestial neighbor turning red over the Americas
By Patrick Pester Published
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Full moons of 2025: When is the next full moon?
By Jamie Carter Last updated
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The 'blood moon' total lunar eclipse is visible in North America tonight — here's how to see it
By Jamie Carter Last updated
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'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
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Where will the 'Blood Moon' total lunar eclipse be visible in March 2025?
By Jamie Carter Published
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How to see tonight's full Snow Moon rise with the 'Heart of the Lion' before Valentine's Day
By Jamie Carter Last updated
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Is the moon still geologically active? Evidence says it's possible
By Keith Cooper Published
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The Sun
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Watch eerie 'UFOs' and a solar 'cyclone' take shape in stunning new ESA video of the sun
By Harry Baker Published
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See spectacular photos from Saturday's partial solar eclipse
By Skyler Ware Published
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Powerful X-class solar flare caught on camera erupting from sun's surface
By Jess Thomson Published
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March 29 solar eclipse: Don't miss the rare sunrise solar eclipse over North America tomorrow
By Jamie Carter Last updated
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Eclipse map: What will tomorrow's solar eclipse look like from your state?
By Jess Thomson Last updated
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Which states will see the solar eclipse tomorrow — and which will see a 'double sunrise'?
By Jamie Carter Last updated
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What time does the solar eclipse start tomorrow?
By Jamie Carter Last updated
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How to watch tomorrow's solar eclipse from anywhere on Earth
By Brandon Specktor Last updated
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Auroras possible in a dozen US states tonight as 'coronal hole' unleashes particle storm on Earth
By Skyler Ware Last updated
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More about Astronomy
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Black holes may obey the laws of physics after all, new theory suggests
By Robert Lea Published
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Space photo of the week: Hubble zooms in on the glittering galaxy next door
By Jamie Carter Published
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Perseverance rover spots peculiar 'spider egg' rock on Mars — and scientists have no idea how it got there
By Damien Pine Published
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