Space

Astronomy

Mystery in the Middle

The Milky Way's core is loaded with seemingly young stars, which have no business being there.

Astronomy

Neutron stars twist Einstein’s theory

Astronomers may finally have found evidence of a key prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity—that a spinning object drags space-time along with it.

Astronomy

Sharpening a Heavenly Image: Clear view of globular cluster’s crowded core

Using innovative optics to take the twinkle out of starlight, the Gemini North Telescope on Hawaii's Mauna Kea has recorded the sharpest infrared images ever of a crowded grouping of Milky Way stars.

Astronomy

Lucky shot

To protect its sensitive optics, the Hubble Space Telescope had to turn its back on last November’s Leonid meteor storm, and that fortuitously put the luminous Helix nebula directly in the telescope’s sightline.

Astronomy

Galactic RAVE

A new study of thousands of Milky Way stars and their motion toward and away from Earth should provide new clues about how our galaxy formed.

Planetary Science

Slowdown on Saturn? Windy doings on the ringed planet

The winds in Saturn’s upper atmosphere are some of the swiftest in the solar system, but recent findings suggest there’s been a dramatic slowdown.

Astronomy

Finding a nearby star

Astronomers have discovered a star that may be among the very closest known to us.

Astronomy

Satellite begins its ultraviolet survey

NASA last month released the first images taken by the recently launched Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite.

Astronomy

Red Team, Blue Team: Galaxy survey shows that color matters

Using the largest survey of galaxies ever compiled, astronomers have found that the cosmos divides sharply along color lines.

Planetary Science

New view of Earth

On May 8, 2003, scientists pointed a camera on board the Mars Global Surveyor probe back at Earth and captured the first image from another planet that shows our world as more than a point of light.

Planetary Science

Springtime on Neptune: Images hint at seasonal changes on distant planet

Belying its location in the deep freeze of the outer solar system, Neptune may undergo a change of seasons.

Astronomy

Gorgeous Gas

Beyond their undeniable beauty, images of nearby, starlit clouds of gas and dust, known as HeII nebulae, may reveal properties of the very first stars in the universe.