Author: Alison Klesman

Alison earned her bachelor’s degree in physics and master’s degree in earth, atmospheric, and planetary science from MIT. During this time, she completed several years of research in the field of planetary science, working on research topics that ranged from comets and asteroids to the atmosphere of Pluto. She earned her Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Florida for work surveying active galactic nuclei in massive galaxy clusters, after which she focused on outreach at Spencer's Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. Asteroid 30286 Klesman (2000 HG61) is named after her. Alison has been with the magazine since 2016.

Exotic Objects, Science

Building the universe’s first supermassive black holes

Space Exploration

Plans for the first spaceport are close to finalization

Milky Way, Science

Hubble solves the mystery bulge at the center of the Milky Way

This is where stardust comes from

Cosmology, Exotic Objects, Science, Stars

Pulsars may be churning out small reserves of antimatter

Exotic Objects, Science

This nearby supermassive black hole packs a pretty big punch

Celebrate Supernova 1987A’s 30th birthday with a stellar image set

Cosmology, Science

Glow-in-the-dark gas lights up the cosmic web

Exotic Objects, Science, Stars

The brightest, most distant pulsar has a complex and powerful magnetic field

High school students identify an ultra-rare star

Astronomers catch a supernova just as its big boom begins

Science, Solar System

Astronomers spot a giant Halley’s Comet-like object as it disappears into the atmosphere of a white dwarf