Dec 19th, 2008 · Astronomers using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory have corroborated the presence of dark energy — a mysterious force pushing the universe outward. William Forman, an astrophysicist with the project, says the findings help explain how the universe evolved — and how it may end.
Nov 14th, 2008 · Two independent research teams have detected exoplanets through unconventional methods — by taking snapshots using visible and infrared light. Astronomer James Graham discusses the findings — including what the exoplanets might tell us about the formation of planets and solar systems.
Aug 8th, 2008 · Researchers say that if the conditions had been slightly different for our solar system, planets could have careened into the sun or been expelled into deep space. Also: A volunteer astronomer spots a strange gaseous object some are calling a "cosmic ghost."
May 23rd, 2008 · Supernovae, ultra-powerful stellar explosions, are some of nature's most cataclysmic events. Astronomers who happened to be observing in the right place at the right time recently collected new pieces of data that allow them to paint an unprecedented picture of what goes on during a supernova's initial stages.
May 21st, 2008 · Astronomers have witnessed for the first time a star at the very moment it exploded as a supernova. This supernova, in a nearby galaxy, produced a burst of X-rays that lasted 10 minutes and signaled the death of the star. Soon, telescopes around the world focused in on this event to capture X-rays, radio waves and visible light from the dying star.
Jan 11th, 2008 · Astronomers have discovered a vast cloud of hydrogen gas aiming straight for our galaxy. It will collide with the Milky Way in a mere 20 million years and likely trigger a burst of new star formations and stellar explosions.
Dec 28th, 2007 · NASA astronomers are monitoring a 164-foot wide asteroid that is headed in the direction of Mars at about 28,000 miles per hour. Scientists say that the space rock has a 1-in-75 chance of colliding with the Red Planet.
Nov 9th, 2007 · A strange glow in the sky is surprising amateur and professional astronomers alike. It's Holmes Comet, a periodic visitor near Earth. During this visit, it has blazed brightly and grown larger -- a fuzzy point in the Northeast sky that's visible to the naked eye.