Astronomers spy most distant star yet

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Astronomers call it Lensed Star 1 because gravitational microlensing magnified its light some 2,000 times. That's how they saw it shining from the distant past, only 4.4 billion years after the Big Bang.

Deborah Byrd

April 3, 2018

Blackbirds in the city: Bad health, longer life

Blackbirds live longer in cities than in forests. But a new genetic analysis suggest that city birds have much poorer health than their rural cousins.

Eleanor Imster

April 3, 2018

A beautiful conjunction of Mars and Saturn

Red Mars and golden Saturn were only 1.3 degrees apart on April 2, 2018, about the width of your finger at arm's length. Photos from the EarthSky community. Thanks to all who submitted.

Deborah Byrd

April 3, 2018

Moon and Jupiter April 2 and 3

Stay up late Tuesday, or get up early Wednesday morning, to catch the moon and Jupiter. From the time they rise until the sun comes up, they'll be the brightest objects in the sky.

Bruce McClure

April 2, 2018

Watch a robot fish swim in the ocean

MIT computer scientists have developed SoFi - a soft, robot fish made of silicone rubber - that can swim alongside real fish in the ocean.

Deborah Byrd

April 2, 2018

Tiangong-1’s fiery death and ocean plunge

Tiangong-1's reentry was confirmed as April 2 at 00:16 UTC (April 1 at 8:16 p.m. EDT). Reentry occurred in the Pacific Ocean, northwest of Tahiti.

Deborah Byrd

April 2, 2018

Forgotten boat and 3 planets

Photographer Nima Asadzadeh caught Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn against the backdrop of the distant Milky Way center, from Lake Urmia, Iran.

Deborah Byrd

April 2, 2018

The amazing feathers of an outlandish bird

The super-black feathers of Birds of Paradise absorb almost every last bit of light that strikes them. This black is so dark your eyes can't focus on its surface.

EarthSky Voices

April 1, 2018