Astronomy
Astronomy is a broad discipline covering all facets of astrophysics. In this section you can learn about the origins of the universe, black holes and other astronomical phenomena.
Constellation Pictures
How to Find Orion's Belt in the Night Sky
Radio Telescope Image Gallery
How do I build a telescope at home?
Shooting the Stars as an Astrophotographer
What's the Brightest Star in the Sky? Depends on the Season
The Largest Star in the Universe Is 1,700x Bigger Than Our Sun
Twinkle, Twinkle: The Ultimate Stars Quiz
What Is a Harvest Moon?
The Mysteries of Mercury Retrograde Unveiled: A Cosmic Phenomenon
A Comprehensive Guide to the Layers of the Earth
Learn More / Page 6
And if we're going to get technical about it, neither do those of us here on Earth.
Energized subatomic particles bombarding Earth from outer space can cause the electronics inside laptops, cell phones and other devices to crash.
How galaxies get their shapes and evolve is widely debated.
By Mark Mancini & Yara Simón
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It's the first interstellar rock we've ever found!
It wasn't quite as loud as you might imagine.
The term "blue moon" dates back to at least the 16th century. Since then, it's had several different definitions, many of which are contradictory. So what's a blue moon today?
By Mark Mancini
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The idea behind the "fake" moon is to provide extra illumination to Chengdu, a city in China's Sichuan province. What could possibly go wrong?
By Mark Mancini
After cruising 300 million miles and spending seven months in space, the InSight spacecraft successfully touched down on Mars' surface. How awesome is that?
Some scientists think the existence of plate tectonics could be a prerequisite for life. So do they exist on other planets outside of Earth?
By Mark Mancini
Once upon a time, the sun caught an interstellar orphan and adopted it as its own. It's named 2015 BZ 509.
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To define the location of objects in the sky, astronomers utilize a system of celestial coordinates, which extends latitude and longitude from Earth's surface into space.
Yep, 'Oumuamua was probably kicked out of its own star system by an overbearing gas giant like Jupiter.
Scientists are continually discovering more moons orbiting the outer planets, particularly Saturn and Jupiter. Just how many moons does Jupiter have?
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It's a celestial gift in the middle of August. Just look up for a spectacular sight.
Jupiter has been notoriously bad about revealing any water deep in its thick atmosphere. That's changing though.
This stellar noodle is the strongest material in the cosmos!
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Back in 2006, the International Astronomical Union decided to demote Pluto to the status of a dwarf planet. A historical study challenges that designation.
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a supermoon! Aside from being bigger and brighter than a regular moon, does a supermoon affect anything on Earth?
The European Space Agency's Gaia satellite observatory has created a 3-D model of the Milky Way - and beyond! - that charts more than a billion stars.
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Say hello to the newly discovered TRAPPIST-1 system, which is just 39 light-years away and filled with seven Earth-like planets.
The rings of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune may be remnants of smaller planets destroyed long ago by the gas giants' powerful gravity.