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Sun on the sky’s equator
Another great explanation of Friday's equinox - plus beautiful graphics - from astronomer Guy Ottewell.
September 22, 2017
Earth will give this spacecraft a gravity boost today
OSIRIS-REx - bound for a 2018 encounter with asteroid Bennu - will sweep in close to Earth on Friday. It'll be closest today just before 16:52 UTC (12:52 p.m. EDT).
September 22, 2017
See it! Young moon and Jupiter
Wow! So many beautiful photos of something relatively hard to catch … the young moon returning to the evening sky this week next to the bright planet Jupiter.
September 22, 2017
Equinox sun rises due east, sets due west
At the equinox, the sun rises due east and sets due west, seen from around the globe. How can you visualize it? Illustrations here.
September 22, 2017
Mercury’s poles icier than thought
The scorching hot surface of Mercury - our sun's innermost planet - seems an unlikely place to find ice. But a new study suggests otherwise.
September 21, 2017
More evidence of water on Mars
Planetary researchers say a large sedimentary basin, named Aeolis Dorsa, contains some of the planet’s most spectacular and densely packed river deposits.
September 21, 2017
Equinox moon, Jupiter September 21-23, 2017
It'll be tough to catch the crescent moon and Jupiter from northerly latitudes. Much easier from southerly latitudes! Watch for these bright worlds, west after sunset.
September 21, 2017
Zap! Biologist measures electric eel’s shock on his own arm
Talk about dedication to science! This biologist stuck his arm into an eel tank - 10 times - to get an accurate measure of an eel's shock. He said it felt "like touching a horse fence."
September 20, 2017
Aging star blows off smoky bubble
A strikingly beautiful view of a delicate bubble of expelled material around the exotic red star U Antliae helps astronomers understand how stars evolve during the later stages of their life-cycles.
September 20, 2017
Triple lightning hits the sea
Roberto Porto captured this image on September 15. He's on the island of Tenerife, one of Spain's Canary Islands, off West Africa.
September 20, 2017
