Stories by Phil Plait

Some stars streaking through the Milky Way at millions of kilometers per hour probably trace back to a supermassive black hole in a neighboring galaxy

The quirks of light moving through gas are the cause of stellar twinkling, which can be a bane—and sometimes a boon—for astronomers

Galaxies come in many shapes and sizes, and trying to define them is difficult

Stars like the sun might erupt with extreme explosions about once per century

It seems contrary to common knowledge, but sound can travel through some parts of space quite well

ORCs—odd radio circles—are one of the weirdest recent discoveries in the heavens above

At the lower end, and to the bitter end, defining a star is tougher than you might expect

According to new simulations, many, even most, planets get ejected from their star early in their history

Evidence of alien worlds goes back farther than you think

Defining the word “moon” is harder than you might think

In colorful photographs of galaxies, stars, planets, and more, what you see isn’t necessarily what you get

The March 13–14 lunar eclipse will be an all-night affair you won’t want to miss

The question of whether aliens can detect our modern civilization depends on what signs they’re looking for—and, crucially, their distance from us

With radio and infrared telescopes, astronomers can pierce the dusty veil of our galaxy and map its farthest reaches

It’s neither fast nor food, but a spectacular object called HH 30 looks appetizing for astronomers in a new image from the James Webb Space Telescope

“Keep your eye on the ball” is a motto for many athletes—and for astronomers trying to find Earth-threatening space rocks

The number of planets that orbit the sun depends on what you mean by “planet,” and that’s not so easy to define

This year, from Earth’s perspective, Saturn’s rings will appear nearly edge on, making them almost invisible

A little-known chapter of the Hubble Space Telescope’s history is a reminder of the risks of looking at the sun

The heavens will provide a bounty of viewing treasures in the coming year

The familiar zodiac constellations are defined by Earth’s motion around the sun, but they don’t define your fate

Twenty years ago today a magnetar’s epic tantrum made our planet ring like a bell from tens of thousands of light-years away

With billions of stars in the Milky Way, some nomenclature standardization is necessary

The celestial equivalent to latitude and longitude lets astronomers find their way across the heavens