We’ve only gotten one close-up view of Uranus and its moons, and it happened decades ago. In 1986, Voyager 2 performed a flyby of Uranus from about 81,500 km (50,600 mi) of the planet’s cloud tops. It was 130,000 km (80,000 mi) away from Uranus’ moon, Ariel, when it captured the leading image. It showed … Read more
What if Bennu hit Earth? The asteroid has a 1-in-2,700 chance of hitting our planet in 2182. On February 5, 2025, scientists in South Korea said they’ve simulated what might happen to Earth if we end up on the losing side of those odds. Image via Myshoun/ Pixabay. What if Bennu hit Earth? Asteroid Bennu … Read more
New research suggests an impact recently rattled Mars deeper than thought. HiRISE images a recent impact crater in the Cerberus Fossae region, seen on March 4, 2021. Credit: NASA/MRO/HiRISE Something really rang the Red Planet’s bell. Research involving two NASA missions—the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the late InSight lander—has shed light on meteorite impacts and … Read more
Taurus the Bull contains 2 star clusters that are easy to spot, the Pleiades and the Hyades. Taurus the Bull The constellation Taurus the Bull is visible during the fall through spring in the Northern Hemisphere (or spring through fall in the Southern Hemisphere). It sits in the evening sky close to the easy-to-see constellation … Read more
A new study has revealed that temperamental stars that brighten and dim over the course of just a few hours could be distorting astronomers’ views of thousands of planets beyond the solar system. The team behind this research reached this conclusion by studying 20 extrasolar planets or “exoplanets” as they crossed, or “transited,” the faces … Read more
This ringed galaxy with 9 rings – known previously as LEDA 1313424 – has been nicknamed the Bullseye. It has 6 more rings than any other known galaxy. Researchers said on February 4, 2025, that a small galaxy dove through the heart of the Bullseye some 50 million years ago. The collision resulted in these … Read more
This animation from NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory shows an atmospheric river event in 2017. Atmospheric rivers are relatively narrow regions in the atmosphere that are responsible for most of the horizontal transport of water vapor outside of the tropics. Image via NOAA. Atmospheric river to continue to pound U.S. West An atmospheric river has … Read more
A female tiger at Kanha National Park, India. Tigers in India, scientists recently announced, have increased 2-fold since 2010. India now has 75% of the world’s tiger population. Image via Charles J. Sharp/ Wikimedia Commons. (CC BY-SA 4.0) Bringing back tigers in India Tigers once roamed widely across Asia. However, by the early 2000s, they … Read more
Even to a casual viewer, the waxing gibbous moon of Friday, Feb. 7 will appear unusual. As it crosses the meridian shortly after 8 p.m. local standard time, it will climb so very high in the sky that from central Florida and southern Texas it will be seen overhead. For watchers in Miami or Brownsville, … Read more
Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions 2 min read Sols 4443-4444: … Read more