Check out these pics from the annual Eta Aquariid meteor shower. The peak morning was likely May 5, 2021, but the following morning, May 6, might be good, too.
Scientists have used radio waves to precisely measure Venus' spin rate and tilt on its axis. We knew the Venus day was exceedingly long, but now we know that the length of a day on Venus regularly changes in length!
In 2018, a small asteroid crashed into Earth, and scientists recovered pieces of it in a Botswana game reserve. Now the scientists have determined the space rock's origin: Vesta, in the asteroid belt.
From nuclear weapons to biowarfare to cyberattacks, humanity has much to overcome. Martin Rees and Frederick Lamb discuss the obstacles we must face as we look forward to humanity's future on Earth.
On April 17, 2021, the New Horizons spacecraft passed 50 astronomical units - 50 times Earth's distance from the sun - while speeding toward interstellar space. It also captured an image of another earthly spacecraft, even farther out.
During its final flyby this month, the spacecraft OSIRIS-REx took an image of the location where it collected a sample from asteroid Bennu's surface. It'll return to Earth 2 years from now, providing scientists with clues to the creation of our solar system.
Kelly Kizer Whitt writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She's been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children's picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.