Astronomy

Artists illustration of the K-138 system

Citizen Scientists Discover an Unusual Five-Planet Solar System

Users looking through data on Exoplanet Explorers flagged four sub-Neptune planets orbiting a distant star called K2-138

The Orion Nebula

Take a Breathtaking Trip Through the Orion Nebula in NASA's New Video

Combining visible and infrared imagery, the new video takes viewers deep into the star nursery

The Arecibo telescope, used to detect the Fast Radio Bursts

New Clues to the Origins of the Mysterious Fast Radio Bursts From Space

New analysis suggests that the bursts originate near massive black holes or neutron stars

Meet the Newly Named 86 Stars of the Night Sky

The new names are drawn from China, Australia, South Africa, Maya, Polynesian and Coptic traditions

A Quadrantid fireball

Quadrantid Meteor Shower Kicks Off the New Year

The annual show is known for producing long-lasting, bright fireballs from asteroid 2003 EH1

A compound image captures the rising moon over the Futako-Tamagawa Rise complex in Tokyo, Japan.

Watch the Supermoon Rise Around the World in Pictures

The 'super' event was a great excuse to get outside and take in some celestial wonder—even if the moon didn't look all that different

Dinosaurs Were Around Before Saturn Had Rings

Data from the Cassini space probe suggests that the rings may be as young as 150 million years old

Kepler has been gazing out at the twinkle of stars since 2009, analyzing the light of hundreds of thousands of stars.

How AI Found the First Eight-Planet Solar System Beyond Our Own

Google’s neural network sifted through piles of NASA data to find a planet hiding in the spacestacks

Artist’s concept of the observatory discovering the supermassive black hole from end of the cosmic Dark Age as the first stars blinked on.

Scientists Discover Ancient Black Hole From the Dawn of the Universe

Sitting some 13.1 billion light years away, the find offers a window into the early universe

An aircraft takes off from Ronald Reagan National Airport, passing in front of the Moon as it rises above Washington D.C.

Super Pictures Capture This Year's Only Visible Supermoon

If you missed last night's celestial show, these images feature our lunar orb in all its glory

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field

Chilean Telescope Takes Deepest Look Into the Cosmos Yet

In the process, researchers discovered 72 new galaxies and details on 1,600 more

Artist's rendering of 'Oumuamua

The First Interstellar Object Seen Buzzing by Earth Is Pretty Weird

Roughly the size of a football field, the object is roughly 10 times longer than it is wide

In Attempt to Contact Intelligent Life, Group Sends Musical Signal Toward Planet GJ 273b

Though the chances are slim, the team hopes this latest transmission is just the first of many

A Leonid meteor in 2009

Leonid Meteor Shower Will Streak Through Skies This Weekend

Expect 10 to 25 shooting stars per hour as the planet passes through the debris of comet Tempel-Tuttle

Artists impression of Ross 128 b

Earth-Sized Planet Detected Just 11 Light Years Away

Orbiting the star Ross 128, our new planetary neighbor is thought to be temperate, with days up to a balmy 68 degrees Fahrenheit

A "Zombie" Star Is Refusing to Die

The supernova has been flaring for more than 600 days—and it may be the second time that the star has exploded

Benjamin Banneker as portrayed on a stamp released in 1980 as part of a Black Heritage series.

Three Things to Know About Benjamin Banneker's Pioneering Career

Banneker was a successful almanac-maker and self-taught student of mathematics and astronomy

A 2015 image from the Hubble space telescope, highlighting some of the oldest galaxies in the universe.

Astronomers Spot One of the Oldest Galaxies in the Universe

The dusty, star-forming galaxy is 12.8 billion years old

Did a well-known Biblical eclipse really occur? Two physicists set out to investigate.

How Scientists Identified the Oldest Known Solar Eclipse ... Using the Bible

The new research by two physicists adds to astronomical knowledge—and overturns previous Biblical interpretations

Sleek new entranceways will grace the refurbished museum.

Here's Why Washington’s Beloved Air and Space Museum Is Facing a Sweeping Seven-Year Upgrade

The museum will remain open as it works to enhance the visitor's experience

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