Martian Moons and Jovian Jaunts
A close-up look at the universe’s many wonders, from nearby planets to faraway galaxies.
- Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech01This close-up photo of Jupiter’s temperate belts was taken by the Juno spacecraft as it skimmed by the giant planet. Jupiter is known for these stripes, which are actually atmospheric separations caused by weather patterns and variations in chemical composition.
- Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech02This image is a stitched-together portrait of some of the last Saturn photographs taken by the Cassini spacecraft—which, after 13 years in orbit, flung itself into the planet and vaporized. The white circle marks the spacecraft’s final resting place.
- Photo: ESA/Hubble & NASA03Congratulations, you’re now a time traveler. This image shows the galaxy cluster PLCK G004.5-19.5 as it looked five billion years ago—which is how long it took the light to travel the vast distance to reach our telescopes.
- Photo: ESO04The four laser beams shooting out from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope allow the telescope to create an artificial guide star, allowing the optics to stay tuned while scientists track real astronomical objects.
- Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech05These two floating space objects are actually the two moons of Mars: Phobos and Deimos. Scientists hope to someday land robotic spacecraft (or even humans) on these moons, but for now they’re just studying them from a distance.
- Photo: NASA/ESA06Scientists thought they had nailed down the universe’s rate of expansion, but a new study—which used the stars circled in yellow to measure brightness and distance—revealed that it might be expanding faster than they thought.
TopicsAMP Stories
New Horizons Breaks a Record for Long-Distance Photography
The spacecraft was 3.79 billion miles from Earth when it snapped this photo of a Kuiper Belt object.
Shannon Stirone
Even Geriatric Mars Rovers Know How to Snap Selfies
The Opportunity rover has been exploring Mars for 14 years. But that doesn't mean it can't put Curiosity's social media skills to shame.
Shannon Stirone
Cosmic Dust Gives Milky Way a Fiery Mane
The Planck space telescope, which is surveying the entire sky in four massive sweeps, has nearly finished its first scan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k19ZtdIxNOY Rotating in orbit, Planck takes data of the sky in strips, almost the reverse of a chef peeling an apple in one long, thin strip. This image, taken from the scan, shows the structure […]
Alexis Madrigal
You Just Try to Snap a Photo at 100,000 MPH
When NASA's Juno spacecraft whizzes by Jupiter's poles, it manages to snap clear photos at astounding speeds.
Shannon Stirone
Japan Is Attempting an Audacious Mission to Sample a Martian Moon
JAXA is leading an international mission to reach Mars’ Phobos moon and bring soil back to Earth. If successful, it could unlock new clues about the history of the solar system.
Jenna Ahart
NASA’s Oldest Martian Spacecraft Have Been Running for Decades. Here’s How
Two orbiters have long outlasted their expected lifespans and completely reshaped our understanding of the Red Planet, all while operating 140 million miles from Earth.
Meghan Bartels
Astronomers Confirm Discovery of the Youngest Known Exoplanet Ever
Under 1 million years old, “Elias 2-24b” is now the youngest exoplanet ever observed, and it may force researchers to reevaluate theories about how planets are formed.
Teruyuki Hayakawa
Astronomers Discover a Possible New Dwarf Planet in Our Solar System
Lying beyond Pluto, 2026 ED138 could be as large as 1,500 kilometers in diameter. Astronomers are still working to confirm whether it meets the criteria for a dwarf planet.
Jorge Garay
NASA Just Made Nearly 1 TB of Artemis II Data Available to the Public
The data drop includes photographs, audio, video, and astronauts’ notes that will be used to study the moon and prepare for future human missions.
Jorge Garay
The ‘Exotic Physics’ Behind a Mysterious 1,000-Mile Cloud on Mars
The cloud has baffled astronomers since its discovery in 2018. Now, a new study offers a possible cause for its appearance.
Tereza Ondráčková
Inside the Supermassive Debate Over the James Webb Telescope’s ‘Little Red Dots’
The Webb telescope sees tiny red dots everywhere. Astronomers can’t agree on what they are, but some believe they may be enormous stars with black holes inside.
Charlie Wood
How to See the Orionid Meteor Shower and Other Upcoming Astronomical Events
Made up of small fragments left behind by Halley’s Comet, these meteors are known for being especially bright and speedy.
Ritsuko Kawai