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Venus in daytime on August 30
Venus appears as a crescent for the same reason the moon does. It's because, at times like now, its lighted side - or day side - is facing mostly away from us.
September 4, 2015
Aryan Mishra invites teens to astronomy
Asteroid discoverer Aryan Mishra wants to open teens' eyes to the beautiful and amazing possibilities that cosmos has in store.
September 3, 2015
Comet Hitchhiker concept takes a step
A spacecraft using Comet Hitchhiker orbits and lands on multiple comets and asteroids using a harpoon and tether and the energy of motion of the small bodies themselves.
September 3, 2015
Plastic bits in 90% of seabirds
A new study estimates that almost all seabirds have eaten plastic.
September 2, 2015
Can El Niño end California drought?
El Niño is expected to bring heavy rains to drought-stricken California. That prospect raises the question: what would it take for the drought to be over?
September 2, 2015
Giant sunspot AR2403
It didn't produce any X flares, but it was spectacular to view on the sun for six days, from August 21 to 26.
September 2, 2015
How to see the Summer Triangle in September
Even as September is beginning, you have several more months to see the large asterism known as the Summer Triangle.
September 1, 2015
Bats also face chemical threats
Cave-dwelling bats are fighting an epic battle against the fungal disease white-nose syndrome. Now, they may be facing another foe — chemical contaminants.
September 1, 2015
Venus and Mars before dawn
Venus has returned to the east before dawn. Mars is up there, too, but not nearly as bright. See Venus, and capture Mars now with binoculars or in photos.
September 1, 2015
Double black hole powers nearby quasar
One black hole may be 4 million solar masses, about the same mass as our Milky Way's central black hole. The other may be 150 million solar masses.
August 31, 2015
