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Astrophotography

How gravitational waves transformed our universe

$A Hubble Space Telescope image of Sirius A, the brightest star in the night sky, appearing as an intensely bright white-blue point of light with four prominent diffraction spikes extending diagonally across the dark blue background. Sirius B, its much fainter white dwarf companion, is visible as a small distinct point of light in the lower left of the frame.$

Observing, Science, Stars

Which naked-eye star is richest in metals?

A photograph of a total solar eclipse capturing the diamond ring effect, where a single brilliant point of sunlight blazes on the right side of the Moon's silhouette just as totality ends, surrounded by the softly glowing white corona. Several pink solar prominences are visible along the Moon's edge, and a warm golden glow fans out around the right side of the disc against a black sky.

Upcoming Events

How to see the August 12 total solar eclipse

A photograph of a total solar eclipse at totality, showing the Moon as a dark disc completely blocking the Sun, surrounded by the softly glowing white solar corona against a black sky. Several small pink solar prominences are visible along the edge of the Moon.

Sky This Week, The Sky This Week

The Sky This Week from August 7 to 14: A solar eclipse and shooting stars

A wide-field telescopic photograph of the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) region, showing sweeping clouds of red and pink hydrogen emission gas interwoven with dark dust lanes against a densely star-filled background. A bright concentration of stars is visible along the left edge, and the characteristic shape of the nebula's dark "Gulf of Mexico" region is visible as a dark void near the center.

Astrophotography

Which filter should I use?

An artist's illustration of the ESA Comet Interceptor mission, showing the large main spacecraft in the foreground with its deployed solar panels, flanked by two smaller sub-probes, all approaching a comet whose bright white nucleus and two-toned tail — blue ion tail and golden dust tail — dominate the upper right of the image against a starry black background.

Science, Solar System

Could we send a spaceship to Comet 3I/ATLAS to collect samples and bring them back for analysis?

A side-by-side pair of lunar eclipse images. On the left, a total solar eclipse shows the Moon as a black disc surrounded by the Sun's white corona, with several pink solar prominences visible along the edge. On the right, a total lunar eclipse shows the Moon glowing in deep red and orange hues — a "blood moon" — with a bright sliver of normal white moonlight still visible along the upper right edge.

Observing

August 2026: What’s in the sky this month? Solar and lunar eclipses, plus the Perseid meteors

Galaxies

Andromeda’s star formation is slowing down

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This artist’s conception illustrates one of the most primitive supermassive black holes known (central black dot) at the core of a young, star-rich galaxy. Astronomers using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope have uncovered two of these early objects, dating back to about 13 billion years ago. The monstrous black holes are among the most distant known, and appear to be in the very earliest stages of formation, earlier than any observed so far. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Science

Explore the science of space, from the astrophysics of stars to the ultimate fate of the universe.

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Observing

Learn about upcoming observing events such as eclipses, meteor showers, comets, conjunctions, and more.

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This 2016 Curiosity rover selfie shows the vehicle at the “Okoruso” drilling site on Mount Sharp’s Naukluft Plateau. The Martian scene is a mosaic of images taken with the arm-mounted Mars Hands Lens Imager (MAHLI). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS.

Space Exploration

Human and robotic missions are helping humanity explore our solar system and beyond.

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August 2026

How gravitational waves transformed our universe
Review: Celestron NexImage 20
AI aims for orbit
Finding light’s true nature

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Sky This Week

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Sky This Week, The Sky This Week

The Sky This Week from August 14 to 21: Mercury and Jupiter meet

Sky This Month

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Observing

August 2026: What’s in the sky this month? Solar and lunar eclipses, plus the Perseid meteors

Picture of the Day

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A black circle sits at the center of the frame, ringed by a bright white glow with wispy, feathery rays streaming outward in every direction like a spiky halo. Tiny specks of pink peek out along the edge of the dark circle. The background sky shifts from deep blue on the left to a warm brownish-orange on the right, with a few faint stars scattered here and there.

The corona from Spain

Alessandro Carrozzi, taken near Palencia, Spain

The Sun’s corona glows in all its glory in this high-dynamic range image taken during totality on Aug. 12. Bright prominences are visible at the Sun’s limb, as well as faint outer structures formed by the solar wind streaming out along magnetic field lines. Earthshine is also apparent, dimly lighting the Moon’s night side — an effect only visible via photography.