Look for Cetus the Whale swimming in a celestial sea

Cetus the Whale is a huge constellation that swims in a sea of stars near constellations named for a river and fish. And it contains a wonderful variable star.

The Wright brothers succeeded 122 years ago

The Wright brothers made aviation history on December 17, 1903, taking humanity’s 1st powered flight into the skies at Kitty Hawk.

Astronomers create 1st map of the sun’s outer boundary

Astronomers have produced the 1st map of the sun's outer boundary, the point-of-no-return for material that escapes the sun's magnetic grasp.

Astronomers see monster stars from the cosmic dawn

Researchers have found evidence for monster stars in the early universe. These giants collapsed directly into the earliest supermassive black holes.

Fornax the Furnace: A dim constellation with galaxies galore

Fornax the Furnace appears as a few dim stars to the unaided eye but harbors galaxies from one orbiting the Milky Way to some at the edge of the universe.

Killer whales and dolphins hunt together in a rare alliance

Killer whales and dolphins have been observed hunting together, sharing prey and skills in a rare and remarkable display of inter-species cooperation.

See the best northern lights photos of 2025

The blog Capture the Atlas announced its 2025 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year contest. See 10 of the best northern lights photos here.

Polar bear DNA changing in response to climate change

A new study has found that polar bear DNA might be evolving to help these creatures adapt to the stresses of our changing climate.

Apollo 17 – last human footsteps on the moon – 53 years ago

It's been 53 years since humans last set foot on the moon. The Apollo 17 astronauts left the lunar surface on December 14, 1972.

This moss survived in space for 9 months

In an experiment on the outside of the International Space Station, a species of moss survived in space for 9 months. And it could have lasted much longer.