Astronomy: News, features and articles

Radio telescope dishes pointing towards the Milky Way galaxy

(Image credit: Haitong Yu / Getty Images)

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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Astronomy news, features and articles

Discover more about astronomy

Latest about Astronomy

'Just the tip of the iceberg': Why risky asteroids like 2024 YR4 will pester Earth for decades to come

Asteroid YR4 impact odds plummet as NASA changes threat level of 'city-killer'

Scientists may have just discovered 300 of the rarest black holes in the universe

NASA just changed the odds of asteroid YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 yet again

Strange radio signals traced to outskirts of long-dead galaxy — and scientists aren't sure why

Blood moon 2025: How to see the moon turn red over North America during March's total lunar eclipse

Chance of 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 smashing into Earth rises yet again to 3.1%, NASA reports

Explore Astronomy

Asteroids

Black Holes

Comets

Cosmology

Meteoroids

Planets

The Moon

The Sun

Asteroids

'Just the tip of the iceberg': Why risky asteroids like 2024 YR4 will pester Earth for decades to come

Asteroid YR4 impact odds plummet as NASA changes threat level of 'city-killer'

NASA just changed the odds of asteroid YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 yet again

Chance of 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 smashing into Earth rises yet again to 3.1%, NASA reports

Potentially hazardous asteroids: How many dangerous space rocks lurk near Earth — and can we stop them?

In emergency decision, James Webb telescope will study 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 before its close approach to Earth

Watch potential 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 as it hurtles through space

'City-killer' asteroid has a 1-in-43 chance of smashing into Earth in 2032, NASA says

Enormous, mountain-size asteroid will be visible from Earth this weekend in rare 'once in a decade' event

Black Holes

Scientists may have just discovered 300 of the rarest black holes in the universe

James Webb Space Telescope discovers mysterious flares near the Milky Way's monster black hole

'We were amazed': Astronomers discover oldest, biggest black hole jet in the known universe — and there may be more

Astronomers catch black holes 'cooking' their own meals in bizarre, endless feeding cycle

Scientists discover black holes spinning unexpectedly fast: 'You’re essentially looking at its fossil record'

'Impossible' black holes detected by James Webb telescope may finally have an explanation — if this ultra-rare form of matter exists

Gravitational waves offer a 'cosmic DNA test' for black holes

Supermassive black holes in 'little red dot' galaxies are 1,000 times larger than they should be, and astronomers don't know why

Time-lapse of 1st black hole ever imaged reveals how matter swirls around it

Comets

Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS' 'near-death encounter' with the sun may have blown it apart, new photos suggest

'Totally amazing' astronaut photo captures comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS shooting past Earth from the ISS

Rare comet could shine bright as Venus as it falls toward the sun: What to expect from Comet ATLAS (C/2024) G3

Comets played a 'major' role in making life on Earth possible, new study hints

Mysterious, city-size 'centaur' comet gets 300 times brighter after quadruple cold-volcanic eruption

'Crumb trails' of meteoroids could reveal potential 'planet-killer' comets years before they reach Earth

Watch the 'Halloween comet' ATLAS burn up as it flies into the sun

Rare illusion gives 'once-in-a-lifetime' comet a seemingly impossible 2nd tail after closest approach to Earth for 80,000 years

Scientists discover bright 'sungrazer' comet that could be visible with the naked eye this month — after Tsuchinshan–ATLAS

Cosmology

Euclid telescope spots rare 'Einstein ring' hiding near Earth — and an ancient, unnamed galaxy behind it

A cosmic 'CT scan' shows the universe is far more complex than expected

1st supernovas may have flooded the early universe with water — making life possible just 100 million years after the Big Bang

'Herculean' 2.5-billion-pixel mosaic shows our closest galactic neighbor like never before — and took more than a decade to create

'Our model of cosmology might be broken': New study reveals the universe is expanding too fast for physics to explain

Rare string of 'cosmic pearls' dance together in the universe

Most of the atoms in your body left the Milky Way on a 'cosmic conveyor belt' long before you were born, new study reveals

James Webb telescope spies record-breaking hoard of stars hiding in a warped 'dragon' galaxy

'There's no real competitor': Theoretical physicist Marika Taylor on how black holes could help us to find a theory of everything

Meteoroids

'It was so simple': How Antarctica's missing meteorites were discovered using a block of ice, a freezer and a lamp

Quadrantid meteor shower: How to watch the first 'shooting stars' of 2025 rain over Earth tonight

Meteor strikes on the moon! Astronomer captures possible Geminid lunar impacts

Ursid meteor shower 2024: Where and when to see the final meteor shower of the year

The Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight! How to see the year's last big display of 'shooting stars' before it's too late.

Meteorite found in a drawer at university contains 700-million-year-old evidence of water on Mars

Look for 'fireball' meteors over the US tonight as the North Taurid meteor shower peaks

Most of Earth's meteorites may have come from the same 3 spots

Watch huge fireball blaze over Lake Erie in stunning videos

Planets

'Like a family photo of our solar system': The James Webb telescope is watching 2 alien planets being born before our eyes

NASA rover discovers liquid water 'ripples' carved into Mars rock — and it could rewrite the Red Planet's history

Pale Blue Dot: The iconic Valentine's Day photo of Earth turns 35 today — and you're probably in it

A strange triangle will appear in the zodiac this month. How to see rare 'zodiacal light,' before it disappears.

Venus, the 'love planet', will look extra special this Valentine's Day. Here's why.

Space photo of the week: Dry ice 'geysers' erupt on Mars as spring hits the Red Planet

Red 'star' rising with the moon on Sunday is really Mars — and you may be able to see it 'disappear'

Jupiter's 'tormented moon' Io just unleashed the most powerful volcanic event ever seen

Which planet is closest to the sun?

The Moon