These earthly godfathers of Heaven's lights, that give a name to every fixed star, have no more profit of their shining nights than those that walk and know not what they are.

— William Shakespeare

Astronomy Magazine

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The latest news and stories from Astronomy Magazine
Updated: 20 hours 11 min ago

ESO brings starburst galaxy into focus

Tue, 08/31/2010 - 10:00pm
NGC 4666's vigorous star formation is probably the result of gravitational interactions with neighboring galaxies.
Categories: Astronomy

NASA and ATK successfully test five-segment solid rocket motor

Tue, 08/31/2010 - 10:00pm
Despite the cancellation of the Constellation program, there is still a strong chance that the booster could play a part in future launch vehicles.
Categories: Astronomy

Spectrum of young extrasolar planet yields surprising results

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:00pm
The data indicate that young gas-giant planets are extremely cloudy.
Categories: Astronomy

NASA Glenn tests alternative green rocket engine

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:00pm
The non-toxic oxygen and methane propellant combination has the potential for greater engine performance.
Categories: Astronomy

Shrinking atmospheric layer linked to low levels of solar radiation

Sun, 08/29/2010 - 10:00pm
Research indicates that the Sun's magnetic cycle, which produces differing numbers of sunspots over an approximately 11-year cycle, may vary more than previously thought.
Categories: Astronomy

Mars' mysterious elongated crater

Thu, 08/26/2010 - 10:00pm
A new image shows the elliptical depression with unprecedented clarity.
Categories: Astronomy

Distant star's sound waves reveal cycle similar to the Sun's

Thu, 08/26/2010 - 10:00pm
Studying many stars with stellar seismology could help scientists better understand how magnetic activity cycles can differ from star to star, as well as the processes behind such cycles.
Categories: Astronomy

NASA's Kepler mission discovers two planets transiting same star

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 10:00pm
Systems with multiple transiting planets are particularly rich with information that provides clues as to their physical characteristics.
Categories: Astronomy

WISE captures the Unicorn's Rose

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 10:00pm
The Rosette Nebula is a huge star-forming region in our Milky Way Galaxy.
Categories: Astronomy

New international study shows some asteroids live in own "little worlds"

Tue, 08/24/2010 - 10:00pm
Scientific results show that when asteroids spin fast enough, they can undergo rotational fission, splitting into two pieces that then begin orbiting each other.
Categories: Astronomy

Pulverized planet dust may lie around double stars

Mon, 08/23/2010 - 10:00pm
Scientists believe that planetary collisions are kicking up fresh dust.
Categories: Astronomy

Richest planetary system discovered

Mon, 08/23/2010 - 10:00pm
Scientists believe there are as many as seven planets orbiting this Sun-like star.
Categories: Astronomy

Scientists develop a new way to weigh planets

Sun, 08/22/2010 - 10:00pm
The method is based on corrections astronomers make to signals from pulsars.
Categories: Astronomy

Galactic super-volcano in action

Thu, 08/19/2010 - 10:00pm
M87's location, coupled with long observations over Chandra's lifetime, has made it an excellent subject for investigations of how a massive black hole impacts its environment.
Categories: Astronomy

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reveals incredible shrinking Moon

Thu, 08/19/2010 - 10:00pm
Based on the size of the newly discovered cliffs, scientists estimate the distance between the Moon's center and its surface has shrunk by about 300 feet.
Categories: Astronomy

Hidden star power revealed

Wed, 08/18/2010 - 10:00pm
Scientists determine that an ancient galaxy cluster is still actively producing stars.
Categories: Astronomy

Astronomers take a step toward understanding the mysterious dark energy

Wed, 08/18/2010 - 10:00pm
The team used a massive galaxy cluster as a cosmic magnifying lens to study the nature of dark energy and improve current measurements of the mass and energy content of the universe.
Categories: Astronomy

Eclipsing pulsar promises clues to crushed matter

Tue, 08/17/2010 - 10:00pm
This is the first time scientists have detected X-ray eclipses from a fast pulsar that is also accreting gas.
Categories: Astronomy

Astronomers challenge current theories on stellar evolution

Tue, 08/17/2010 - 10:00pm
Scientists have demonstrated that a magnetar formed from a star with at least 40 times the mass of the Sun, but theory states that mass should form a black hole.
Categories: Astronomy

IBEX mapping mission yields intriguing new studies about our solar system

Mon, 08/16/2010 - 10:00pm
In addition to detailing the never-before-seen regions at the solar system's edge, IBEX data has been used in discoveries closer to Earth.
Categories: Astronomy