Black hole is sleeping giant

At the heart of galaxy NGC 4889 lurks one of the most massive black holes ever discovered. Astronomers think this giant has stopped feeding and is now resting.

Merging galaxies in Eridanus, via Hubble

Characterized as a peculiar galaxy, NGC 1487 is an elaborate cosmic whirl likely formed when several dwarf galaxies merged.

Gravitational waves’ new window on cosmos

Why are scientists so excited about the first-ever detection of gravitational waves? Deborah Byrd reports on this episode of EarthSky News.

Gravitational waves detected!

We can now detect gravitational waves, says LIGO. Unanticipated discoveries, unexpected marvels, ahead.

Rare salamander lays eggs in Slovenia cave

Slovenian folklore speaks of baby dragons flushed from parents’ subterranean lairs. Today, we know these rare creatures as the olm, and one of them has laid eggs.

Galaxies hidden by Milky Way revealed

For the first time, astronomers peered through stars and dust in the Milky Way galaxy to find ... more galaxies. The work helps explain a mystery Great Attractor.

Lightning strikes, seen from ISS

Is this cool or what? Time-lapse video from International Space Station astronaut Tim Peake.

Earthlike exoplanets with Earthlike interiors?

Rocky planets orbiting other stars have interiors similar to Earth's, with a thin outer crust, thick mantle, and Mars-sized core, says a new study.

Volcanos, lakebeds and possible Mars life

Scientists are traveling to Tibet this summer to explore places that might be possible earthly analogs to regions on Mars once suitable for life.

Icy volcano in Chile about to erupt?

Several recent events suggest that a set of glacier-covered volcanoes in the southern Chilean region of Bío-Bío may be likely to erupt.