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Mars is closest to the sun today
On September 16, 2018, Mars reaches perihelion, its closest point to the sun in its 2-year orbit. Mars' brightness in July and August - and a recent global dust storm on the planet - are both linked to this event.
September 16, 2018
It’s been a year since Cassini plunged into Saturn
On September 15, 2017, the Cassini spacecraft plunged into Saturn, ending its spectacular mission. Cassini's last images and final moments, here.
September 14, 2018
Here’s how Hubble sees Saturn
Cassini ended its 13-year mission at Saturn a year ago, when it plunged into the giant planet's atmosphere. Now the Hubble Space Telescope is keeping an eye on the planet.
September 14, 2018
Alien-hunting AI discovers dozens of mysterious fast radio bursts
Astronomers with the Breakthrough Listen program used AI (artificial intelligence) to find 72 repeating, short, unpredictable radio bursts, from a mysterious source 3 billion light years away.
September 12, 2018
Landslides and avalanches keep comets active
Landslides and avalanches on comets might keep them active, when closest to the sun, much longer than expected. They might even bring some dormant comets back to life!
September 12, 2018
Best pics of the comet as it swept safely past
Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner came closer to Earth this week than it had in 72 years. Favorite photos here, from the EarthSky community. Plus info on comet Wirtanen, which might become visible to the eye alone later this year.
September 11, 2018
What is the Hypatia Catalog?
The Hypatia Catalog uses "big data" - extremely large data sets - hopefully to reveal patterns, trends, and associations that might lead to finding distant worlds harboring life.
September 11, 2018
What is a parsec?
Why do professional astronomers speak of distances in the universe not in terms of light-years, but in terms of parsecs, a distance of 3.26 light-years? Explanation here.
September 11, 2018
Stand on Mars, look around
Of course you can't really stand on Mars. But you can do the next best thing with this cool new 360-degree interactive panorama from NASA's Curiosity rover. Notice the settling dust!
September 9, 2018
How black holes bring white dwarfs back to life
White dwarfs are the dead remnants of larger, once-active stars like our sun. But black holes can reignite them.
September 8, 2018
