The Universe

Surging solar activity means enormous sunspots are in the space-weather forecast. Here’s how to view them safely

Reports of Earth-orbiting astronauts glimpsing the Great Wall of China and many other artificial structures are wildly exaggerated, but humanity’s planetary influence isn’t entirely invisible from afar

There’s more than one way for a star to die. Some go with a whimper, and some go with a very, very big bang

It’s possible to see celestial objects during the day, but it’s not always easy

Material from the moon’s far side collected by China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft could solve a long-standing lunar mystery

New research suggests the Great Red Spot we see on Jupiter today is an entirely different giant storm from the one astronomers observed more than three centuries ago

Almost everything we know about the cosmos is conveyed by photons traveling across vast distances

The human brain loves seeing patterns, even when they aren’t really there

Cosmic happenstance and biological evolution come together to create a road map to the stars

The latest images from Euclid, a European mission studying dark matter and dark energy, are spectacularly beautiful—and scientifically promising

The next time you snap a selfie, consider thanking an astronomer for your phone’s camera

The iconic star Polaris appears to be much younger than its true age. The secret: it’s eating another star