Severe geomagnetic storm! What happened to the auroras?

A powerful blast from the sun triggered a severe geomagnetic storm on the night of January 19, but the auroras weren't as dazzling as hoped. Here's why.

New survey of nearest stars reveals best spots for life

A new survey of nearest stars to the sun - more than 2,000 of them - is helping astronomers determine which ones are the most likely to have habitable planets.

Meet the Crab Nebula, remnant of an exploding star

The Crab Nebula is visible with binoculars or small telescopes. Scan near bright stars in Taurus to spot this expanding stellar remnant.

The elephant shrew is a long-snouted speedster

The elephant shrew is a small but clever creature. It survives using speed, memory and keen senses in a world where predators lurk at every turn.

The best comets of 2026: Here’s what to watch for

What will be the best comets of 2026? Here's a list of those we already know, and keep watching this space for new discoveries!

Here’s what ‘habitable’ means to astronomers

When astronomers say a distant world is 'habitable,' what do they mean? Do they mean humans could live there? Do they mean we've discovered alien life?

See lightning forms from the traditional to bizarre

Beyond bolts, there are many lightning forms that you might see, including red sprites, blue jets and more. Read about them and see examples here.

Do aliens and fireflies communicate similarly?

Advanced aliens and fireflies on Earth might communicate in similar ways, by using signals of flashing light, a new theoretical study suggests.

Blue-white Rigel is Orion’s brightest star

Blue-white Rigel shines as the brightest star in the constellation Orion the Hunter. It's a hot massive star, that someday will explode as a supernova.

Arctic air flowing into the southern United States Friday

Arctic air is diving south across the United States, impacting millions of people, even as far south as south Florida! Get the forecast details here.