Do Stars Outnumber the Sands of Earth’s Beaches?
Figuring out whether there are more stars in the universe than sand grains on Earth’s seashores requires math—and imagination
Space & Physics
NASA’s New Asteroid Sample Is Already Rewriting Solar System History
Scientists have scarcely begun studying pristine material from asteroid Bennu brought back to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission, but have already found several surprises
First-Ever Magnetic Map of Milky Way’s Black Hole Reveals a Mystery
Polarized light from Sagittarius A*, our galaxy’s supermassive black hole, shows swirling magnetic fields that may hint at the presence of an unseen jet
Why Do Colors Change during a Solar Eclipse?
When the moon fully eclipses the sun, it’s not just the sky that changes. Your eyes do, too
Solar Eclipse Experiment Will Fly a Kite to Avoid Cloudy Skies
A kite-borne experiment will observe the sun’s mysterious corona during the upcoming total solar eclipse
Visually Impaired People Can Experience Eclipses, Too
Scientists have created a guide to the 2024 total solar eclipse for the visually impaired that includes tactile graphics
Bizarre ‘Hot Jupiter’ Planets Keep Surprising Astronomers
Astronomers now have three possible theories to explain how weird hot Jupiter exoplanets form
A Dead Star Will Soon Spark a Once-in-a-Lifetime Display in Earth’s Skies
A nova called T Coronae Borealis spectacularly erupts every 80 years. Your only chance to see it will come any day now
How Much Energy Would It Take to Blow Earth to Smithereens?
A mathematical formula shows what would be needed to reduce the planet to cosmic dust
Earth Has More Than One Moon
Quirks of orbital mechanics make a cadre of sun-orbiting asteroids appear to be moons of Earth
Astronomers Fight to Save X-ray Telescope as NASA Dishes Out Budget Cuts
The Chandra X-ray Observatory faces a premature end under new funding cuts proposed by NASA—and astronomers aren’t happy
Don’t Panic, But A Lot of Stars Seem to Eat Their Own Planets
At least one in a dozen binary stars shows signs of eating their planets