SUNSET: 
Have a Screamingly Good Halloween Week
From the Scream Nebula to bobbing for planets in daylight, Halloween offers an ample bag of treats.
Rubin Observatory Detects Record-Breaking Asteroids
The Rubin Observatory has detected thousands of new asteroids, including several that spin a lot faster than expected for typical rubble piles.
A Satellite Company Tests “Sunlight As A Service” — Without Astronomers’ Knowledge
The California demonstration by Reflect Orbital used spotlights to imitate sunlight-reflecting satellites.
Did Venus and the Hyades Star Cluster Inspire Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’?
A team of researchers claims the Hyades star cluster may form the heart of van Gogh's "The Starry Night." Others aren't so sure.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 23 – November 1
The Moon lights the way to Saturn 3,300 times farther behind it. Then the Moon befriends the Pleiades. The Ghost of Summer Suns arrives for Halloween. The Dipper lies low.
A Chartreuse White Dwarf Shows Some Stars Really Are Green
The cool white dwarf WDJ1330+6435 has accreted sodium-rich rocky material from its planetary system into its atmosphere. The immense atmospheric density causes the sodium to absorb light over broad range of yellow, orange, and red wavelengths, giving the WDJ1330+6435 a ghostly green appearance. Mark A. Garlick / University of Warwick…
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Japan Launches the Martian Moons Exploration Mission
An artist's conception of JAXA's MMX mission at Phobos. JAXA A two-stage, H3-24L rocket lit up the predawn skies over Tanegashima Space Center on the southern tip of Japan early on Tuesday, October 20th (3:41 p.m. EDT on October 19th), carrying a mission headed for the Red Planet: the Japan…
Webb and Spitzer Telescopes Explore the Planets That Never Were
Planetesimal wrecks are raging around distant stars. With the Webb and Spitzer Space Telescopes, astronomers are learning what that looks like.
Chile’s Light-Pollution Standard Takes Full Effect
The South American country, which hosts some of the world’s major astronomical observatories, promises to protect its night skies, from the Atacama Desert to Tierra del Fuego.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 16 – 25
Tonight the Moon's in the Teapot. High in early dawn, Mars stands over Jupiter while Regulus twinkles below.
A Cloud Forms Spontaneously Over a Mountain on Mars — Here’s Why
This curious cloud requires no solid particles to seed its formation — a theoretical phenomenon that's never been observed until now.
Rise Early on October 22nd for the Orionid Meteor Shower
The Moon bugs out just in time to enjoy the peak of the Orionids, which trace their origin to Halley's Comet.
NASA Initiative to Study the Moon's Environment
NASA announced three new scientific payloads that will head to the Moon to better understand lunar hazards and resources.
The Solar System Has a New Life Expectancy, and It’s a Billion Times Shorter
New simulations suggest that the planets' orbits will destabilize well before the Sun expands into its red giant phase.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 9 – 18
Take advantage of these moonless evenings! Make friends with some far Cassiopeia clusters in the high-arching Milky Way. Soon the Moon will return.
Meet the Star Cluster That Defies Conventions
The stellar gathering known as Garro 04 belongs to a growing number of enigmatic groupings that combine traits of young open clusters ancient globulars.
Fast Radio Burst Shatters Distance Record
Astronomers have found a distant fast radio burst whose signal has traversed much of the universe before arriving at Earth.
Neutrino Hunter Francis Halzen Wins Nobel Prize in Physics
Particle physicist earned the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to neutrino astronomy.
Rare Sight Ahead! Watch the Moon Occult Jupiter Early October 6th
Jupiter disappears then returns in a blaze of glory at the Moon's dark rim before dawn.
Saturn Flaunts its Rings at Opposition the Night of October 3–4
Leaves fall. Frost sparkles. And once again we fall under the magical spell of Saturn, the Lord of the Rings.