Some newly found stars in a small galaxy called Sextans A are forming without some of the usual “ingredients” — raising questions about how the early universe evolved.
The astronomers behind a new study of these stars likened the stars’ environment to a cosmic kitchen. Usually, stars being “cooked” in these kitchens are made up of essential ingredients like silicon…
Satellite sees snowy Greenland peaks from space | Space photo of the day for Jan. 14, 2026
January 15, 2026
Tucked into the Arctic, Greenland’s mountains do far more than provide stunning scenery. They steer winds and weather, shape regional climate patterns, and help dictate how the Greenland ice sheet moves by funneling ice into fast-flowing outlet glaciers and directing…
Where are the smallest galaxies? A recent study suggests that there may not be as nearly as many of them in the early universe as there should be, which has big implications for the story of how our universe grew up.
For years, astronomers have looked back into the deep…
We may be witnessing the messy death of a star in real time
January 14, 2026
Could a star have its own heartbeat? It sounds more like poetry than physics, but in the case of a red giant named R Leonis, the answer is a resounding, if slightly erratic, yes.
For over two centuries, we have watched this star. R Leonis is a Mira variable, a type of aging star that pulsates like a rhythmic, celestial heart. It expands and contracts, dimming and brightening with a regularity that…
ISS astronauts spy airglow and dwarf galaxy | Space photo of the day for Jan. 13, 2026
January 14, 2026
From the ground, the night sky can feel limitless, but it’s also filtered through a blanket of air that softens and scatters starlight. From orbit, that veil drops away, as astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) saw firsthand on Nov 28, 2025. They were…
Get a huge 25% off these Canon image-stabilized binoculars — one of our favorites for stargazing under the new moon
January 14, 2026
Ever had trouble with a wobbly view from your high-magnification binoculars? Image-stabilized (IS) binoculars are the solution to this problem and the Canon 12×36 IS III binoculars are now 25% off on Amazon. With 12x magnification and image stabilization, they are…
Satellite sees 40-year-old iceberg melt, turn blue | Space photo of the day for January 12, 2025
January 13, 2026
A colossal Antarctic iceberg that first broke free in the 1980s is now soaking up the summer warmth, and from orbit seems to be turning a shade of aquamarine. In this recent image from NASA’s Earth Observatory, iceberg A-23A is streaked with blue meltwater ponds and surrounded by a halo of fractured ice, signs that the long-lived “megaberg” is perhaps in its final days.
What is…
If you’ve ever discovered something completely unexpected in your hamburger, it was likely that neither delight nor intrigue were your first reaction. However, that isn’t the case for a team of astronomers who have recently discovered something they didn’t…
Astronomers baffled by 'mysterious disruptor' with a mass of 1 million suns and a black hole for a heart
January 13, 2026
A completely dark and mysterious body with the mass of 1 million suns and a possible black hole heart continues to baffle and intrigue astronomers despite further investigation.
This “mysterious disruptor” is located around 11 billion light-years away and was…
Jupiter is at its best and brightest of 2026 tonight! Here's what to expect as the gas giant reaches opposition
January 12, 2026
Jupiter will be at its most spectacular in 2026 in the early hours of Jan. 10, as it shines above the eastern horizon among the stars of the constellation Gemini. Here’s where to look and what to expect as the gas giant draws closest to Earth around opposition.
The visibility of planets in the night sky varies dramatically based on their orbital positions relative to the sun and Earth. The…
