Latest Astronomy News
NASA proposes cheaper, quicker way to get Mars rocks and soil to Earth
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is pitching a cheaper and quicker way of getting rocks and soil back from Mars, after seeing its original plan swell to $11 billion. Administrator Bill Nelson presented a revised scenario Tuesday, less than two weeks before stepping down as...
Here's your 2025 guide to the night sky and other celestial wow moments
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The new year will bring a pair of lunar eclipses, but don’t expect any sun-disappearing acts like the one that mesmerized North America last spring. While the world will have to wait until 2026 for the next total solar eclipse, the cosmos promises...
How to catch the Quadrantids, the first meteor shower of 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — When the Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on Friday, it will be the year's first chance to see fireballs in the sky. A waning crescent moon means good visibility under clear and dark conditions. Most meteor showers are named for the constellations...
Northern lights could be visible in upper fringes of the US this New Year's Eve
NEW YORK (AP) — There's a chance solar storms may bring northern lights to several northern U.S states just in time for the new year. The sun expelled two bursts of plasma that are hurtling toward Earth and are expected to arrive early this week, according to the U.S. National...
Thousands greet the winter solstice at the ancient Stonehenge monument
LONDON (AP) — Thousands of tourists, pagans, druids and people simply yearning for the promise of spring marked the dawn of the shortest day of the year Saturday at the ancient Stonehenge monument. Revelers cheered and beat drums as the sun rose at 8:09 a.m. (0809 GMT) over the...
The last meteor shower of the year peaks a few days before Christmas
The last meteor shower of the year — the Ursids — peaks Sunday, a few days before Christmas. While usually not as bright as the Geminids, the Ursid meteor shower can yield surprises. “The Ursids are generally a sparse meteor shower," producing about 5 to 10...
The winter solstice is almost here, the Northern Hemisphere's darkest day
The winter solstice is Saturday, bringing the shortest day and longest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere — ideal conditions for holiday lights and warm blankets. For those who would rather have more sunlight, you can try to make your way to the Southern Hemisphere, where...
Two stars may be orbiting each other near a supermassive black hole in our Milky Way galaxy
NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have spotted what appear to be two stars whipping around each other near the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Nearly every large galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its heart. The one in the middle of the Milky Way,...
How old are Saturn's rings? Study suggests they could be 4.5 billion years old just like the planet
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — New research suggests that Saturn’s rings may be older than they look — possibly as old as the planet. Instead of being a youthful 400 million years old as commonly thought, the icy, shimmering rings could be around 4.5 billion years old just like...
How to catch the Geminids, one of the strongest meteor showers of the year
The Geminids — among the few major meteor showers to come from asteroids — will be visible until Dec. 21, although peak viewing was on Dec. 13. Here’s what to know about the Geminids and other meteor showers. It's one of the year's last chances to see fireballs in the sky. The...
