Astronomers see mystery explosion 200 million light-years away

Supernovae, or exploding stars, are relatively common. But now astronomers have observed a baffling new type of cosmic explosion, believed to be some 10 to 100 times brighter than an ordinary supernova.

Mapping the threat of small near-Earth asteroids

65 million years ago, a monster asteroid wiped out 2/3 of all life on Earth, including the dinosaurs. But an astrophysicist explains why it’s the smaller near-Earth objects (NEOs) that pose a greater imminent threat.

James Webb Space Telescope launch pushed to 2021

Space fans waiting for the launch of the Webb Space Telescope - which will be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope - will have to wait longer.

Hayabusa 2 arrives at asteroid Ryugu

Japan's Hayabusa 2 is now just 12 miles (20 km) from Ryugu's surface. The spacecraft will now begin studying the asteroid to find the best locations for its lander and 3 small rovers.

Interstellar asteroid update: It’s a comet!

`Oumuamua is moving faster than expected on its way out of our solar system. Astronomers now think it's really a comet, venting material from its surface that's giving the object a small but steady push.

Fragments found for small asteroid that exploded over Russia last week

The meteor was seen over Russia on June 21. Now scientists from Ural Federal University are reporting finding meteorite fragments from the event. Plus ... why are so many large meteors seen over Russia?

Rosetta spacecraft image archive complete

Rosetta journeyed through space for 12 years and performed early flybys of Earth, Mars and 2 asteroids before arriving at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. It produced nearly 100,000 images. Some of the best, here.

Mars dust storm grows global

The storm is now officially "planet-encircling." At Gale Crater, where the Curiosity rover is studying the storm's effects, dust has starkly increased. Meanwhile, the Opportunity rover stays silent.

10 things about Martian dust storms

Mars' massive dust storms have been challenging - and enticing - scientists for decades. From NASA, here’s the scoop on Martian dust.

Astronomers see a black hole eating a star

Astronomers now have the 1st direct image of a black hole ripping apart a star. The star-stuff goes into a disk surrounding the hole, and it's also ejected back to space in powerful jets.

Matching Donation Campaign

Exciting news! EarthSky received a $50,000 gift, with a request that it be used to collect matching funds. Please help us meet this match by donating to EarthSky today!

Would you consider

donating?

If you've already donated, we apologize for the popup and greatly appreciate your support.