Staring up into the night sky, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite expanse of space, with every pinprick of light in the vast canopy of darkness a star holding secrets forged by 13.8 billion years of the universe's existence. And yet, despite its great age and the unfathomable distance between us and even our nearest neighbor, through the study of astronomy we are able to understand more about the world beyond our atmosphere.
Join our expert writers and editors as we reveal the greatest mysteries in cosmology, such as how black holes form, and explore celestial bodies like exoplanets and nebulas, that are scattered throughout our universe. You will also discover how scientists are pushing the boundaries of space exploration using observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope with the latest astronomy news, features and articles.
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Latest about Astronomy
Gaia space telescope discovers 55 'runaway' careening away from stellar cluster at 80 times the speed of sound
Using the Gaia space telescope, astronomers have observed 55 massive stars ejected from their home star cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud at speeds equivalent to 80 times the speed of sound.
Rare illusion gives 'once-in-a-lifetime' comet a seemingly impossible 2nd tail after closest approach to Earth for 80,000 years
New photos of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS appear to show a faint "anti-tail" pointing away in the wrong direction. The puzzling extra limb is the result of a rare illusion that is only possible when our planet is in a certain position.
Phew! No 'doomsday' asteroids hide in famous broken comet's debris stream
The Taurid Meteoroid Stream, which is possibly responsible for the famous Tunguska and Chelyabinsk impacts, probably doesn't hide a civilization-killing asteroid.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot is being squeezed, Hubble Telescope finds — and nobody knows why
The Hubble Space Telescope has seen Jupiter's Great Red Spot oscillating in width as it drifts around the planet. Could this be related to its overall shrinking?
Record-breaking ancient spinning galaxy challenges cosmic evolution theories
Astronomers have discovered the earliest strongly rotating galaxy ever seen that's well-organized rather than chaotic, challenging theories of cosmic evolution.
The biggest supermoon of the year is about to rise: When to see the 'Hunter's Moon' at its best and brightest
The Hunter's Moon will be the first full moon of autumn when it rises on Oct. 17. It will also be the third and closest supermoon of the year.
Space photo of the week: See the gorgeous Rosette Nebula — before it destroys itself
The Dark Energy Camera imaged the Rosette Nebula, capturing a kaleidoscope of color created by the star cluster born within it.
'Severe' solar storm that hit Earth Thursday could be 'global phenomenon' with auroras as far south as California
A powerful solar outburst hit Earth Thursday, triggering a "severe" geomagnetic storm. Auroras could be visible as far south as California and Alabama, NOAA predicts.
