Posts by 

Kelly Kizer Whitt

100-million-year-old crab preserved in amber

A 100-million-year-old crab is the first crab ever found in amber from the dinosaur era. The fossil bridges a gap between marine and nonmarine crabs.

The 1st extragalactic planet?

Scientists believe they might have detected the 1st extragalactic planet by examining x-rays from M51, the famous Whirlpool Galaxy.

Andromeda galaxy photos, 2021

Enjoy a photo gallery of the best Andromeda Galaxy images from EarthSky readers! The Andromeda Galaxy is a great observing target on fall evenings.

The fate of Arctic sea ice

Our warming world means the fate of Arctic sea ice could be in peril, along with the plants, animals and rich ecosystem that call it home.

Grus the Crane, home to ‘the bright one’

Grus the Crane is a constellation best seen from the Southern Hemisphere that has one notably bright star whose name actually means, "the bright one."

Small galaxy consumes an even smaller galaxy

Scientists found evidence that a small galaxy - the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite of the Milky Way - has eaten an even smaller galaxy.

White dwarf star abruptly switches on and off

Astronomers have witnessed a white dwarf switching on and off - or going from a bright to dim stage and back - over a period of just 30 minutes.

October deep sky: Nebulae and more

The October deep sky holds gems such as the Helix Nebula in Aquarius. You can spot the Helix Nebula in binoculars or a telescope on October evenings.

Colors of Betelgeuse in a star collage

Soumyadeep Mukherjee captured the colors of Betelgeuse in 1,300 individual images that he compiled into a star-shaped collage.

Solar system’s future seen: 1st planet around a white dwarf

Scientists got a peek at the solar system's future when they found a gas giant planet orbiting a white dwarf. One day the sun will die and become a white dwarf.