The Universe

Every Friday, astronomer Phil Plait brings the universe over your head down to Earth.

Photograph, the far side of Earth's moon as seen captured by NASA's robotic Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft

The UniverseJuly 19, 2024

China’s Fresh Samples from the Lunar Far Side Could Explain Earth’s Two-Faced Moon

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

Phil Plait

Partial view of Jupiter's southern hemisphere with the Great Red Spot appearing on the far edge of the planet

The UniverseJuly 12, 2024

How Did Jupiter Get Its Great Red Spot?

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

Phil Plait

The UniverseJuly 5, 2024

How Light Tells Us the Story of the Universe

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

Phil Plait

A black and white view of the surface of Mars showing a specific features on the surface.

The UniverseJune 28, 2024

The Face on Mars and Other Cases of Cosmic Pareidolia

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

Phil Plait

The constellation Orion is seen in the night sky framed by the branches of a blossoming cherry tree

The UniverseJune 21, 2024

What Are Constellations, and Where Do They Come From?

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

Phil Plait

A close-up of the star-forming region M78, from a larger image captured by the Euclid telescope.

The UniverseJune 14, 2024

Stunning New Images Show Bright Future for Euclid, a Telescope Studying the ‘Dark’ Universe

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

Phil Plait

Man taking photo of night sky with smartphone

The UniverseJune 7, 2024

Smartphone Cameras Owe Their Power to Astronomy

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

Phil Plait

Artist’s impression of one star cannibalizing another.

The UniverseMay 31, 2024

The North Star Has an Age-Defying Secret: Stellar Cannibalism

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

Phil Plait

An expanding cloud of debris from a supernova

The UniverseMay 24, 2024

Surprising Supernova Scars Cover the Earth

A supernova showering Earth with radioactive debris is a surprisingly common cosmic occurrence

Phil Plait

Artist impression of the black hole Cygnus X-1 pulling matter away from its companion blue supergiant star, HDE 226868.

The UniverseMay 17, 2024

How Can You ‘See’ a Black Hole?

How do astronomers find the darkest objects in the universe?

Phil Plait

Illustration of a supernova explosion destroying planets

The UniverseMay 10, 2024

Don’t Panic—At Least, Not about a Nearby Supernova

An exploding star is a catastrophe on a cosmic scale, but here on Earth we’re safe from such astral disasters—for now

Phil Plait

Illustration of the solar system, including its eight planets and the sun: Mercury, Venus, the Earth, Mars, asteroid belt, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and at its outer limits the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud

The UniverseMay 3, 2024

Where Is the Edge of the Solar System?

The solar system’s outer limits aren’t as clear-cut as you might think

Phil Plait

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