Space

A distant, mysterious glowing ring of gas and dust has finally given up its secrets — and it turns out to be less of a romantic cosmic jewel than its shimmering appearance suggests. In the constellation Cygnus, a bright knot of stars seems to adorn one edge of a nearly perfect 20-light-year-wide circle, earning the structure the nickname “Diamond Ring.” But astronomers studying its…

A comet discovered earlier this year continues to break apart after its close brush with the sun this month. Astronomer Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project captured breathtaking imagery of solar system comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) as its central icy core, or nucleus, appears to have broken into multiple pieces after being warmed by the sun. The comet made its closest approach to the sun on…

Astronomers have discovered that an aging red giant star has a closely orbiting stellar companion, which could be causing havoc to the star’s processes. The discovery could help researchers better understand what will happen to Earth and the other solar system planets when the sun transforms into a red giant about five billion years from now. The red giant in question is π1 Gruis, which…

I’ve been fortunate enough to catch several northern lights displays in just a few years, including from my own backyard in Nottingham, U.K. (thank you Gannon Storm 2024). As an aurora reporter, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “Where’s the best place to see them?” Here’s what I tell everyone: For your best chance, you’ll want to head above the…