What are gravitational waves? Ripples in spacetime

First postulated by Albert Einstein in 1916 but not observed directly until September 2015, gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime.

Geminid meteor mystery solved? It was a collision!

Data from the Parker Solar Probe helped scientists discover that the Geminid meteor shower is most likely the result of a violent event on asteroid Phaethon.

Comet C/2021 T4 Lemmon is sweeping through southern skies

Comet C/2021 T4 Lemmon was discovered at Mount Lemmon Observatory in 2021. It's currently in the southern skies and might become bright enough for binoculars.

What’s a safe distance from a supernova for Earth?

What's a safe distance from a supernova? To survive a supernova, recent data says Earth would have to be at least 160 light-years away from the exploding star.

How many red dwarf stars in nearby space?

Astronomer Guy Ottewell uses 2 charts - showing 2 different volumes of space - to contemplate and question the density of red dwarf stars in our Milky Way.

A deep penumbral lunar eclipse overnight tonight

A penumbral lunar eclipse happens tonight, May 5-6, 2023. It's visible from eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and Indonesia.

What are white dwarf stars? How do they form?

A white dwarf is the incredibly dense core of a dead star, left behind when the star exhausted its fuel. Our sun will become a white dwarf one day.

Hybrid solar eclipse: An annular-total on April 19-20

A hybrid solar eclipse will cross Australia, Timor-Leste and Indonesia on April 20, 2023. Surrounding areas will see a partial eclipse. Find maps and more here.

What is a neutron star? How do they form?

A neutron star is born from a supernova explosion. They contain a couple of times the mass of our sun, squeezed into a sphere the size of a city on Earth.

The attitude of the Swan and the Northern Cross

Guy Ottewell answers the question: Since the Northern Cross is vertical as it sets in the west, why is it not also vertical as it rises in the east?