Astronomy
- Science & Society
2017 delivered humility, and proved our potential
Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill reflects on some of the top scientific stories of 2017.
- Astronomy
This year’s neutron star collision unlocks cosmic mysteries
A rare and long-awaited astronomical event united thousands of astronomers in a frenzy of observations.
- Astronomy
Seven Earth-sized planets entered the spotlight this year
The discovery of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a single cool star fuels a debate over what counts as good news in the search for life outside the solar system.
- Astronomy
New Horizons’ next target might have a moon
New Horizons’ next target, Kuiper Belt object MU69, may have a small moon.
- Planetary Science
Jupiter’s massive Great Red Spot is at least 350 kilometers deep
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has measured the depth of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot for the first time.
- Astronomy
Most complete map of Titan reveals connected seas and cookie-cutter lakes
The latest map of Titan, based on all the data from the Cassini spacecraft, displays new details about the moon’s lakes and seas.
- Astronomy
The most distant quasar ever spotted hails from the universe’s infancy
The new record-holder for faraway quasars comes from a period of rapid change in the universe.
- Astronomy
We still don’t know where the first interstellar asteroid came from
Astronomers are tracking stars to see if one of them launched the first interstellar asteroid at Earth.
- Physics
Collision illuminates the mysterious makeup of neutron stars
Scientists size up neutron stars using gravitational waves and light.
- Astronomy
Here’s what really happened to Hanny’s Voorwerp
Glowing clouds of gas known as Hanny’s Voorwerp offer a way to study galaxies and black holes in the distant past.
- Astronomy
Here is Cassini’s last broad look at the Saturn system
Two days before plunging into Saturn, Cassini took a mosaic image of the gas giant, its rings and its moons.
- Astronomy
The Arecibo Observatory will remain open, NSF says
The iconic Arecibo radio telescope has survived Hurricane Maria and dodged deep funding cuts.
