Kepler s House in Linz
Four hundred years ago today (May 15, 1618) Johannes Kepler discovered the simple mathematical rule governing the orbits […]
Astronomy
Sakurajima Volcano with Lightning
Why does a volcanic eruption sometimes create lightning? Pictured above, the Sakurajima volcano in southern Japan was caught […]
A Plurality of Singularities at the Galactic Center
A recent informal poll found that astronomers don’t yet have a good collective noun for a group of […]
Galaxies in the River
Large galaxies grow by eating small ones. Even our own galaxy practices galactic cannibalism, absorbing small galaxies that […]
The Red Rectangle Nebula from Hubble
How was the unusual Red Rectangle nebula created? At the nebula’s center is an aging binary star system […]
The Observable Universe
How far can you see? Everything you can see, and everything you could possibly see, right now, assuming […]
The Unusual Boulder at Tychos Peak
Why is there a large boulder near the center of Tycho’s peak? Tycho crater on the Moon is […]
Stickney Crater
Stickney Crater, the largest crater on the martian moon Phobos, is named for Chloe Angeline Stickney Hall, mathematician […]
The View Toward M101
Big, beautiful spiral galaxy M101 is one of the last entries in Charles Messier’s famous catalog, but definitely […]
Moon Halo over Stone Circle
Have you ever seen a halo around the Moon? This fairly common sight occurs when high thin clouds […]