Subtle Saturn
This beautiful view of Saturn was taken by Cassini when it was looking through the dark side of the planet's…
Dark Nebula Slithers Across the Sky
This Spitzer photograph contains several nebulae located in the galactic plane of the Milky Way. The dark, snake-like nebula at…
Astrophoto: From the Soul Nebula by Frank Barnes III
In June of 1889, about one year before his untimely death, the brilliant Dutch post-impressionist, Vincent Van Gogh, furiously completed…
Gamma Rays Pour From the Edge of a Supermassive Black Hole
Astronomers have discovered gamma rays streaming from the vicinity of the supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy M87.…
Janus Poses Above Saturn
This incredible photograph shows Saturn's potato-shaped Janus, posing above the planet's cloudy atmosphere. Janus is only 181 kilometers (113 miles)…
Echos of Light
The strange variable star V838 Monocerotis flared up nearly 5 years ago, and astronomers have been trying to figure out…
New Planet Hunter Prepares for Launch
A powerful new instrument for finding extrasolar planets is about to launch: COROT (Convection Rotation and planetary Transits). Developed by…
Progress 23 Docks with the Station
An unpiloted Progress 23 cargo ship docked with the International Space Station on Thursday, delivering a new load of supplies.…
Successful Liftoff for NASA’s STEREO Spacecraft
NASA's solar-observing STEREO spacecraft were carried into space Wednesday evening, atop a Boeing Delta II rocket. STEREO, aka the Solar…
Stellar Explosion Has Many Layers
A new photograph from the Spitzer Space Telescope shows how supernova remnant Cassiopeia A evolved over time. The original star…