2024 was a landmark year for space exploration with incredible achievements and stunning astronomical events captivating observers.
Why DC-Area Scientists Are Building a Fake Star
The Landolt Space Mission will create an artificial star to improve astronomical measurements and fundamentally change our understanding of the universe.
A rare look at NASA's next sharp-eyed space telescope
NASA is assembling the Roman Space Telescope, a significant advancement in astronomical research set to launch by May 2027.
Four planets are 'aligning' in January: How to see Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Saturn parade across the sky tonight
January 2025 promises a spectacular skywatching event with a visible planet parade featuring Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Saturn.
Huge 'Christmas Eve asteroid' will skim past Earth on December 24
A massive 'Christmas Eve asteroid' will safely skim past Earth at 14,743 mph, with no chance of collision.
Geminids meteor shower peaks tonight: where and when to see shooting stars light up the December skies
The Geminid meteor shower peaks on December 13, displaying vibrant colors and numerous meteors, best viewed from dark locations.
Space exploration's most stunning photos in 2024
2024 was a landmark year for space exploration with incredible achievements and stunning astronomical events captivating observers.
Why DC-Area Scientists Are Building a Fake Star
The Landolt Space Mission will create an artificial star to improve astronomical measurements and fundamentally change our understanding of the universe.
A rare look at NASA's next sharp-eyed space telescope
NASA is assembling the Roman Space Telescope, a significant advancement in astronomical research set to launch by May 2027.
Four planets are 'aligning' in January: How to see Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Saturn parade across the sky tonight
January 2025 promises a spectacular skywatching event with a visible planet parade featuring Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Saturn.
Huge 'Christmas Eve asteroid' will skim past Earth on December 24
A massive 'Christmas Eve asteroid' will safely skim past Earth at 14,743 mph, with no chance of collision.
Geminids meteor shower peaks tonight: where and when to see shooting stars light up the December skies
The Geminid meteor shower peaks on December 13, displaying vibrant colors and numerous meteors, best viewed from dark locations.
Ciechanowski's interactive essays creatively explain the Moon's phases and its relationship to Earth, making complex astronomical concepts accessible and engaging.
New Observatory Opens the Door to Finding Pluto's Replacement
The existence of the hypothetical Planet Nine could soon be revealed with a new observatory launching in 2025.
Phases of the Moon, visually explained
Ciechanowski's interactive essays creatively explain the Moon's phases and its relationship to Earth, making complex astronomical concepts accessible and engaging.
New Observatory Opens the Door to Finding Pluto's Replacement
The existence of the hypothetical Planet Nine could soon be revealed with a new observatory launching in 2025.
Day 25 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: The Most Distant Known Galaxy
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered the most distant galaxy known, observed just 290 million years post-Big Bang.
Scientists baffled by asteroid-comet hybrid like NOTHING seen before
Discovered Chiron is a unique Centaur with a chemical makeup predating solar system formation, offering insights into its behaviors.
Day 16 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: A New View of a Distant Spiral
James Webb Space Telescope reveals intricate details of spiral galaxy NGC 628, enhancing our understanding of star formation.
Day 13 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: A Cloud in the Deep Sky
The James Webb Space Telescope captures stunning images of the Chameleon I dark molecular cloud, revealing the interplay of light and cosmic structures.
Day 24 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: An Energetic Stellar Nursery
The James Webb Space Telescope reveals ongoing star formation in the young star cluster NGC 602, showcasing its vibrant environment.
We've all been there! Black hole takes a 'nap' after overeating
A newly discovered black hole, 400 million times the Sun's mass, shows periods of hyperactivity followed by long dormancy, challenging black hole growth models.
Day 25 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: The Most Distant Known Galaxy
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered the most distant galaxy known, observed just 290 million years post-Big Bang.
Scientists baffled by asteroid-comet hybrid like NOTHING seen before
Discovered Chiron is a unique Centaur with a chemical makeup predating solar system formation, offering insights into its behaviors.
Day 16 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: A New View of a Distant Spiral
James Webb Space Telescope reveals intricate details of spiral galaxy NGC 628, enhancing our understanding of star formation.
Day 13 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: A Cloud in the Deep Sky
The James Webb Space Telescope captures stunning images of the Chameleon I dark molecular cloud, revealing the interplay of light and cosmic structures.
Day 24 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: An Energetic Stellar Nursery
The James Webb Space Telescope reveals ongoing star formation in the young star cluster NGC 602, showcasing its vibrant environment.
We've all been there! Black hole takes a 'nap' after overeating
A newly discovered black hole, 400 million times the Sun's mass, shows periods of hyperactivity followed by long dormancy, challenging black hole growth models.
Spectacular aurora australis thrills sky gazers across south-east Australia
A spectacular aurora australis visible in southeastern Australia on New Year's Day resulted from a severe geomagnetic storm at the peak of the solar cycle.
Boston.com readers were obsessed with these stories in 2024. Here's why.
Campus protests regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict captured significant public interest, showcasing students' commitment to activism and social justice.
The partial solar eclipse in Boston sparked joy and community engagement, despite the city not being in the full path of totality.
Devouring "the Kraken" led to the modern Milky Way
The Milky Way's current structure is a result of historical galaxy mergers and ongoing star formation, emphasizing the complexity of cosmic evolution.
Have we found a galactic "twin" of the Milky Way?
The Milky Way's structure is complex and distinctive, featuring a small central bulge and an ambiguous overall shape that challenges comparative analysis with other galaxies.
Devouring "the Kraken" led to the modern Milky Way
The Milky Way's current structure is a result of historical galaxy mergers and ongoing star formation, emphasizing the complexity of cosmic evolution.
Have we found a galactic "twin" of the Milky Way?
The Milky Way's structure is complex and distinctive, featuring a small central bulge and an ambiguous overall shape that challenges comparative analysis with other galaxies.
Day 18 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: An Energetic Protostar
FS Tau B is a young protostar in a multi-star system, showcasing an unusual double-sided jet.
Day 23 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: A Spray of Glowing Filaments
R Aquarii showcases the dynamic interactions of a binary star system, highlighting the beauty of cosmic phenomena through energetic outbursts and jet formations.
Day 18 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: An Energetic Protostar
FS Tau B is a young protostar in a multi-star system, showcasing an unusual double-sided jet.
Day 23 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: A Spray of Glowing Filaments
R Aquarii showcases the dynamic interactions of a binary star system, highlighting the beauty of cosmic phenomena through energetic outbursts and jet formations.
Daily briefing: How AI is decoding the calls of the wild
Astronomers have observed a young galaxy resembling the Milky Way, providing insights into early cosmic formation.
Galaxies, auroras and a cosmic bat: Southern Sky astrophotography exhibition 2024
The article highlights the beauty and complexity of cosmic phenomena, including stellar nurseries, galaxies, and auroras, captured through extensive astronomical imaging.
The 16 stories that shaped physics and astronomy in 2024
Basic science has been steadily advancing throughout 2024, contradicting the perception of stagnation.
Day 20 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: A Galactic Chain
The Hubble image features the interacting galaxy system Arp-Madore 2105-332, highlighting cosmic connections and fascinating alignments among galaxies.
Daily briefing: How AI is decoding the calls of the wild
Astronomers have observed a young galaxy resembling the Milky Way, providing insights into early cosmic formation.
Galaxies, auroras and a cosmic bat: Southern Sky astrophotography exhibition 2024
The article highlights the beauty and complexity of cosmic phenomena, including stellar nurseries, galaxies, and auroras, captured through extensive astronomical imaging.
The 16 stories that shaped physics and astronomy in 2024
Basic science has been steadily advancing throughout 2024, contradicting the perception of stagnation.
Day 20 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: A Galactic Chain
The Hubble image features the interacting galaxy system Arp-Madore 2105-332, highlighting cosmic connections and fascinating alignments among galaxies.