dust

miscellanyHubble Space TelescopeMarsclimate changesupernovaeexoplanetscometsgravitational wavessolar systemESA2025Jupiterwhite dwarfsPlutoaliensdustasteroidsneutron starsastrophotographymeteoritesstar clustersvolcanoesmathEarthcosmologyGlobular clusterspulsarsmoonsthe SunscifiFast Radio BurstsVera Rubin ObservatorynebulaAstronomybrown dwarfsNASAPoliticsgalaxy clusterslight pollutionplanetary nebulaerecipedebunkingblack holesHumorphysicsTVnight skygravitational lensingVenusAbout the newsletterspacered dwarfsthe moonActive galaxiesAbout mespace explorationimpactsnovaebinary starsSgr A*starsTNOssciencegalaxiesJWSTGamma-ray burstsdark matterColliding galaxiesstar formationMilky Way GalaxyScientific AmericanillusionsGaia
PlutoPluto
+6+6
Astronomy can be annoying sometimes
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Astronomy can be annoying sometimes

Our 2D view makes things difficult. Plus: Pluto’s atmosphere is freezing out

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
dustdust
+3+3
Echoes of light show our galaxy’s spiral arms are more wide-flung than we thought
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Echoes of light show our galaxy’s spiral arms are more wide-flung than we thought

Distant flashes of light and a quirk of trig help astronomers map the Milky Way

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+7+7
JWST takes a peek at a star being born

JWST takes a peek at a star being born

And of course it’s another jaw-dropper

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space Telescope
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Another JWST jaw-dropper: a galaxy that looks like it’s exploding but is actually doing the opposite

Another JWST jaw-dropper: a galaxy that looks like it’s exploding but is actually doing the opposite

M82 is really just doing what galaxies do: making lots and lots of stars

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
dustdust
+5+5
JWST sees massive stars clearing away their dusty, gaseous birth blankets

JWST sees massive stars clearing away their dusty, gaseous birth blankets

A survey of four nearby galaxies reveals important details on how these beasts are born

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+6+6
No aliens for Boyajian’s Star, and trees reach up to connect electrically with the sky
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No aliens for Boyajian’s Star, and trees reach up to connect electrically with the sky

The star seems to have settled its unsettling behavior down, and corona discharges from trees finally seen in the wild

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
exoplanetsexoplanets
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A new mini-moon for Earth next year, two moon-sized exoworlds collided
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A new mini-moon for Earth next year, two moon-sized exoworlds collided

We get a second moon, kinda, for a week in 2027. Also, a cosmic train wreck around another star

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
dustdust
+6+6
Happy 2^10th / 8th anniversary issue! To celebrate, here’s a DEEP discount.

Happy 2^10th / 8th anniversary issue! To celebrate, here’s a DEEP discount.

Plus: A jaw-dropping star-forming nebula courtesy of JWST

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space Telescope
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A galaxy aflame!

A galaxy aflame!

JWST image of NGC 5134 is fire. Also, using real AI to find galaxies.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space Telescope
+6+6
Another gorgeous Hubble galaxy, but it has many secrets
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Another gorgeous Hubble galaxy, but it has many secrets

NGC 7722 is a weird hybrid of galaxy types. What does that tell us?

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
MarsMars
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1000

1000

This is the 1000th issue of this newsletter! Plus: lightning on Mars!

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space Telescope
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Hubble unscrambles the Egg Nebula

Hubble unscrambles the Egg Nebula

An amazing image of a dying star fried my brain

Philip Plait
Philip Plait