Earth
1st adult T. rex trackway found by high school teacher
A high school teacher discovered 4 footprints that make up the 1st-ever known T. rex trackway. He discovered it at Hell Creek Formation in North Dakota.
Astronomy Essentials
Tonight
Visible planets and night sky guide for September
Visible planets and night sky guide: Look for the waxing crescent moon near red Antares this evening. And see a video explaining the equinox.
Astronomy Essentials

See the year’s fastest sunsets and sunrises around equinoxes

The year's fastest sunsets and sunrises happen around the equinoxes, and the slowest sunsets and sunrises happen around the solstices.
Astronomy Essentials

Equinox fun: Track the sun’s shift now until the solstice

On this equinox, start tracking the sunset point on your western horizon. You'll see a mighty shift between now and the June solstice.
Astronomy Essentials

2026 September equinox: All you need to know

The September equinox is almost here! Autumn for the Northern Hemisphere. Spring for the Southern Hemisphere. Here's all you need to know.
Sun

Sun news: A near-spotless day on our star

Sun news September 17, 2026: Only 1 sunspot remains, and it's about to leave. Will tomorrow bring the 1st spotless sun since February 24? Stay tuned!
Earth

Wildfires near the South Pole burned 90 million years ago

Researchers have found evidence in a sediment core in Antarctica that wildfires near the South Pole were a regular occurrence some 90 million years ago.
Space

The rings of Chariklo are unexpectedly dynamic and changing

New observations by the James Webb Space Telescope show that the rings of Chariklo, a Centaur in the outer solar system, changed over a period of a few years.
Astronomy Essentials

Why is planet Venus so bright in Earth’s sky?

You can't miss dazzling Venus after sunset! It's the 3rd brightest object in the sky, after the sun and moon. But why is Venus so bright?
Space

JUICE mission to fly by Earth in late September

The JUICE mission will perform a flyby of Earth in late September 2026. The spacecraft is headed toward Jupiter's icy moons, where it will arrive in 2031.