World's Biggest Space Telescope Heads West on Path to Launchpad
With its testing at Goddard Space Flight Center completed, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope embarks for further testing in Texas before its 2018 launch
Stories by Sarah Lewin Frasier
Cassini Survives Closest-Ever Encounter with Saturn, Snaps Stunning Images
First images from an epic dive through Saturn’s rings reveal a giant hurricane and turbulent storm clouds
Meet “Steve,” a Strange New Sky Phenomenon
Citizen scientists and space-agency satellites come together to discover a new variety of aurora
Only One of TRAPPIST-1's Rocky Planets May Be Right for Life
A new climate model suggests six of the nearby star's seven worlds are uninhabitable
Kepler Telescope Releases Trove of Data on Newfound Earth-Size Exoplanets
The planet-hunting observatory stared at the TRAPPIST-1 system for nearly three months
Balloon Telescope Searches for Universe's Baby Stars
New maps of galactic magnetic fields will enhance the study of stellar birth
Astronomers Spy Dusty "Traffic Jam" in Young Star System
The newfound structures in disks of dust and gas around newborn stars could aid planet formation
NASA’s Fermi Telescope Spots Record-Breaking Blazars
Powered by supermassive black holes, the intense light from these extreme galaxies began its journey to us when the universe was but a tenth of its present age
Ailing Buzz Aldrin Evacuated from Antarctica
The 86-year-old moonwalker was visiting the South Pole as a tourist when he fell ill, and is reportedly now in stable condition
Cassini Mission Kicks Off Finale at Saturn
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft begins a series of daring dives through Saturn's rings Nov. 30, the first step in the probe’s “grand finale” investigation of the gas giant planet...
NASA Showcases Virtual Reality for Space Exploration
Microsoft's HoloLens headsets are already aiding astronauts on the International Space Station, and next-generation VR could prove vital for journeys to Mars
Astronomers Watch as Io’s Atmosphere Collapses
Jupiter's shadow makes this volcanic moon's atmosphere freeze solid once per day
Dark Matter Stays Dark
The most sensitive search yet for the mystery substance draws a blank after 20 months
How to See This Year's Perseid Meteor Shower
Look up into a dark sky in mid-August to see more than 150 meteors per hour
Astronomers Spot First-Ever “Snow Line” around Newborn Star
The images of water frost forming around the young star V883 Orionis offer new insights into planet formation
New Equation Tallies Odds of Life Beginning
Creators factor in “origin-of-life” events and available building blocks
Rare Newborn Planet May Be the Youngest Ever Detected
The Kepler space telescope has discovered an exoplanet that is just five million to 10 million years old—much younger than the typical planet
Supermassive Black Hole Found in Unlikely Cosmic Backwater
The discovery of an object 17 billion times the sun's mass may mean many more such monsters are out there
NASA Picks Tiny Satellites to Ride on Giant Rocket's First Flight
When the Space Launch System launches in 2018, its passengers will be 13 small CubeSats off to explore the solar system
Superfast "Cannonball" Star Likely Blasted from Supernova
Rocketing along at more than 960,000 miles per hour, the rare star is stained in mysterious carbon
