How an Autodidact Astronomer Became the First American to Discover a Comet
Maria Mitchell was the only widely recognized and respected female astronomer of her time—something she fought to change.
Astronomy
Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
Californians are arrested on Charlottesville-related charges, Missouri is down to one abortion clinic, and researchers may have found a far-off moon.
Could a 'Mystery Object' in Our Solar System Tell Us About Alien Life?
A professor of engineering breaks down what the 'Oumuamua projectile could possibly be and the secrets it could hold–but we still have no definite answers.
Babylonians Were Really Good at Astronomy
They figured out a math problem related to the path of Jupiter—14 centuries before top British and French scientists did.
Feels Like the First Time: Finally Seeing Pluto
Today, NASA released the highest-resolution photos ever made of the dwarf planet Pluto. We've posted them alongside contemporary accounts of the ice dwarf's discovery, 85 years ago.
Everything Wrong With Calling Scientists 'Boys With Toys'
Sexism is an important component, but it's more than that.
Give It a Rest, Fogerty
Enough with studies blaming the moon for our behavior, one University of California-Los Angeles astronomer pleads.
Researchers & Discoveries: Black Hole Hunter
Astrophysicist Andrea Ghez on black holes and the center of our galaxy.
Las Cumbres Helps Confirm Planet With Two Suns
A retired Google exec’s dream of ringing the planet with telescopes available to kids and professional astronomers has assisted in some recent discoveries.
Developing World's Scientific Literacy May Lie in its Stars
Jacob Zuma says the World Cup can score an economic goal for his country, but a collection of international astronomers meeting in his backyard have a starry-eyed yet down-to-earth suggestion for the developing world.
Star-Hunting with a Purpose
GLOBE at Night invites the world to measure light pollution.
Starry, Starry Skies
California desert town takes back the night, wins rare "Dark Sky" award
Project Keeps Sky Watchers in Eternal Dark
Surveillance around the clock is offered to schoolchildren and astrophysicists via Internet-linked telescopes girding the globe.
The Search for Intelligent Light
Planet hunter Geoff Marcy scans the skies for answers to the universal question of other life.