Sign Up for Our Amazing Newsletter!
A daily update by email. Science news, great photos, sky alerts.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
What are your chances for a white Christmas?
For people in the continental United States, here’s your historic probability of getting a white Christmas in 2018.
December 21, 2018
Tuesday night’s waxing moon
If you see the moon tonight, it'll look nearly full, illuminating the sky nearly all night on this longest night of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. Full moon comes on December 22.
December 21, 2018
Goodbye to Saturn’s rings
Scientists have long said that Saturn's glorious rings may be only temporary. New research confirms a "ring rain" onto Saturn that'll leave the planet ringless in 300 million years, or sooner.
December 19, 2018
Comet gives birth to baby bow shock
And a spacecraft sees it happen! Rosetta spacecraft data reveals an infant bow shock - similar to what forms at the bow of a ship - at the comet this craft explored for 2 years. It's the 1st seen forming anywhere in our solar system.
December 19, 2018
Did a supernova kill off the megalodon?
A new study suggests that a tsunami of cosmic energy from a supernova killed off large ocean animals - including the huge megalodon shark - 2.6 million years ago.
December 19, 2018
1st image from inside sun’s atmosphere
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has now swept within the sun's corona, or outer atmosphere.. No other spacecraft has ever come this close to the sun's surface! And, it's going to get closer.
December 18, 2018
Astronomers spy most distant solar system object yet
It's more than 100 times Earth's distance from our sun, and it takes 1,000 earthly years to orbit the sun once. Astronomers have labeled it 2018 VG18, but nicknamed it Farout!
December 17, 2018
Best photos of 2018’s Geminid meteor shower
The shower peaked late last week, but, with all the comet excitement going on, people didn't start submitting their best Geminid images until the weekend.
December 17, 2018
Don’t miss the Jupiter-Mercury conjunction
You need an alarm clock and a clear sky to the east, the sunrise direction. Binoculars will come in handy. The 2 bright planets will come closer and closer, finally closest on December 21. Beautiful!
December 17, 2018
Juno mission to Jupiter at halfway point
On December 21, NASA's Juno spacecraft will make its 16th science pass over the cloud tops of Jupiter, marking the halfway point in the solar-powered spacecraft's prime mission.
December 17, 2018
