Scutum the Shield is named for a Polish king

Constellation Scutum consists only of a few stars, but it's noticeable in a dark sky because a rich region of the Milky Way is behind it.

Life on Venus? Exciting new VERVE mission could find it

Could there be life on Venus? A new probe concept from the UK would hitch a ride with the EnVision mission and look for biosignature gases in Venus' atmosphere.

New Horizons visited Pluto 10 years ago

New Horizons flew past distant Pluto 10 years ago in 2015. It changed forever the way we perceive this outermost world and its moons.

Chimpanzees wear blades of grass in their ears and rears

Some chimpanzees in captivity imitated each other with the seemingly useless activity of putting a blade of grass in their ears and rears.

Earth will spin unusually quickly in July and August

The shortest days on Earth for 2025 will be in July and August. But why is Earth spinning faster? It's a bit of a mystery. Get the dates here.

Interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS might be oldest comet yet

Astronomers have modeled the path of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS through the Milky Way galaxy. They said the comet might be 7 billion years old.

A deep-space navigation 1st, from New Horizons

New Horizons - which visited Pluto - has now performed a deep-space navigation 1st, determining its own position via star images.

Is the Milky Way teeming with satellite galaxies?

Astronomers used new models and simulations of the Milky Way to show our galaxy should have 80 to 100 more satellite galaxies than we've spotted.

The Omega Nebula is a star-forming region

The Omega Nebula, also known as the Swan Nebula or M17, is visible through binoculars and glorious through a telescope. Here's how to find it.

What are hole-punch clouds, aka fallstreak holes?

Have you ever seen a fallstreak hole or hole-punch clouds? They're a type of cloud with a flat layer interrupted by a big hole, often with wisps at the center.