Titan Shadow Transitvery 15 years or so, Saturn’s rings are tilted edge-on to our line of sight. As the bright, beautiful ring system grows narrower and fainter it becomes increasingly difficult to see for denizens of planet Earth. But it does provide the opportunity to watch transits of Saturn’s moons and their dark shadows across the ringed gas…Read More

Fireball over Cape San BlasHave you ever seen a fireball? In astronomy, a fireball is a very bright meteor — one at least as bright as Venus and possibly brighter than even a full Moon. Fireballs are rare — if you see one you are likely to remember it for your whole life. Physically, a fireball is a small rock that originated from an asteroid…Read More

A Double Detonation SupernovaCan some supernovas explode twice? Yes, when the first explosion acts like a detonator for the second. This is a leading hypothesis for the cause of supernova remnant (SNR) 0509-67.5. In this two-star system, gravity causes the larger and fluffier star to give up mass to a smaller and denser white dwarf companion.…Read More

Cat’s Paw Nebula from Webb Space TelescopeNebulas are perhaps as famous for being identified with familiar shapes as perhaps cats are for getting into trouble. Still, no known cat could have created the vast Cat’s Paw Nebula visible toward the constellation of the Scorpion (Scorpius). At 5,700 light years distant, Cat’s Paw is an emission…Read More

Lunar NearsideAbout 1,300 images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft’s wide angle camera were used to compose this spectacular view of a familiar face – the lunar nearside. But why is there a lunar nearside? The Moon rotates on its axis and orbits the Earth at the same rate, about once every 28 days. Tidally locked in this…Read More