Astronomy

Our planet’s precession is scarcely noticeable during anyone’s lifetime, but across history, it has had enormous effects

The moon helps us keep time, inspires religions and shapes science, yet it still keeps secrets from us.

Here’s a calendar of cosmic events to keep your eyes on in the coming year

Unique studies of gravity waves, atmospheric holes and dazzling coronal displays will accompany April’s total solar eclipse across the U.S., Mexico and Canada

This year’s most interesting space images include infrared views of galactic “bones,” an asteroid’s double moon, Jupiter’s giant polar vortex, and more

How can the December solstice have the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere but neither the earliest sunset nor the latest sunrise? Earth’s orbital quirks offer answers

The James Webb Space Telescope caught its second glimpse of the year of Uranus and its bright-shining rings

The flare may have been accompanied by a plasma eruption now headed toward Earth

Ice crystals suspended in the air put on a gorgeous show if you know when and where to look

No one has ever seen a newborn star feeding on its natal disk anywhere outside our galaxy—that is, until now

Astronomers are moving ahead in planning NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory, a telescope designed to answer the ultimate question: Are we alone in the universe?

Where can you find the best sites for stargazing—and why is a dark sky important?