Scientists expect 1st direct black hole image soon

This was the most popular post at EarthSky this week, and no wonder. It's exciting! Scientists expect the 1st-ever direct image of a black hole's event horizon, soon.

Top 7 EarthSky images of 2017

Here are 7 of your favorite images of the year.

Sorry cat-lovers: New study says dogs are smarter

The study - from a self-confessed dog lover - counted cells in animals' brains associated with thinking, planning and complex behavior.

Scientists explain insights from ancient Tibetan ice core

A short film about an expedition to Tibet's Guliya Glacier, where scientists drilled a Stone Age ice core going back 600,000 years. Plus a report on what the ice core reveals.

SpaceX launch wowed many, scared some, in SoCal

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch created an eerie display in the night sky over southern California on the night of December 22. Photos and video here.

No big planets at Alpha Centauri, but maybe small ones

"Because Alpha Centauri is so close, it's our first stop outside our solar system. There are almost certain to be small, rocky planets around Alpha Centauri A and B."

IAU approves 86 more star names

"These professional astronomers are claiming the exclusive right to give 'approved' names to the stars. But the stars - and the sky - belong to all of us."

A grand year for the Geminids

The 2017 Geminid meteor shower was thought to have a better-than-average chance of producing a rich display, since the Geminids' parent body - a strange rock-comet called 3200 Phaethon - is nearby. And so it was! Photos here.

Study: A third of Asia’s glaciers likely gone by 2100

Meltwater from the glaciers supplies water to 800 million people, so that loss would mean serious consequences for water management, food security, energy production.

Exposed to wildfire smoke? 5 questions answered

The intense wildfires in southern California are triggering air quality alerts. What do health experts know about how inhaling smoke affects human health?