Spiral galaxy M 51 with magnetic field data. Credit: MPIfR Bonn The origin of magnetic fields in our universe is a mystery. But magnetic fields are a key part of the...

Would you like to learn more about the reflector telescope? Exactly what is a reflector telescope? Who invented the reflector telescope and how does a reflector...

Polaris A (Pole Star) with its two stellar companions, Polaris Ab and Polaris B. Artist impression. Credit: NASA Polaris is a well known Cepheid variable, but its...

VY Aquari (35 arc minute field)According to AAVSO Special Notice #114 prepared by Matthew Templeton and released just a few minutes ago, dwarf nova VY Aquari is now...

Jewel Box by Don Goldman Since it was first observed in a half inch diameter spy glass by Abbe Nicholas Louis de Lacaille during his visit to South Africa in 1751-2, the...

Last week we talked about galaxies in general, and hinted at the most violent and energetic ones out there: active galaxies. Quasars have been a mystery for half a...

A composite image of Chandra and Hubble Space Telescope observations of giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4649 (ASA/STScI/NASA/CXC/UCI/P. Humphrey et al.) Working out the mass...

The UFOCapture software records nighttime sky highlights via PC with attached vidcam. Quite handy for those alien/meteor enthusiasts who still have to hold down a...

Physics Prof. Michael Gershenson with laboratory equipment used to fabricate ultra-sensitive, nano-sized infrared light detector. Credit: Carl Blesch A tiny new circuit...

(52.) Alloces. — The Fifty-second Spirit is Alloces, or Alocas. He is a Duke, Great, Mighty, and Strong, appearing in the Form of a Warrior riding upon a Great...

Supernovae are kind of a big deal in the Universe, so you'd think that when one occurred we would notice, especially if it were visible to the naked eye. A star that...

The reigning champion for brightest star in the Milky Way is Eta Carinae, a highly unstable star prone to violent outbursts. Astronomers say Eta Car's life will...

Do these valleys on Mars come from gushes of water from past rainfall, or groundwater springs, or could they have possibly been formed from magma flows on Mars surface? ...

Jonathan Fay is principal developer of the WorldWide Telescope. In this interview he explains how the project has yielded not only a breakthrough software product, but...

The VIRTIS instrument on Venus Express has made the first detection of hydroxyl in the atmosphere of Venus. This provides new insight into the dynamics of the upper...

A reversed-polarity sunspot was detected today, marking solar minimum and the beginning of the 24th solar cycle (since humans first recorded the undulating pattern of...

These giant, glowing clouds of gas and dust are the remnants of two different exploding stars. /Gemini Observatory / Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS-South) Image No, the...

An international team of astronomers has obtained the first convincing evidence of water in the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system. They came to this...

Despite being mathematically challenged, I’ve always been quite the (amateur) astronomy/astrophysics enthusiast. So imagine my curiosity with all the hype...

I, as well as my 4 year old son, have always had an interest in Astronomy. My son puts planet puzzles together and looks at picture books. I'm proud to say that he can...