Second-Chance Planets
This artist’s concept shows two planets orbiting PSR 1257+12, the dead core of a once-mighty star. Known as a neutron…
Last Surveyor
Scientists compiled this panorama of the lunar landscape from pictures snapped by Surveyor 7, America’s final robotic lunar lander, in…
Ringed Dwarf Planet
Rings encircle the dwarf planet Haumea in this artist’s concept. The potato-shaped object, which also has two small moons, orbits…
Odd Giant
Lanes of dark dust cross the starry form of NGC 1316, a giant galaxy that is 60 million light-years away,…
Orion Rising
Orion, one of the brightest and most beautiful constellations, rises to evening prominence in December. This view shows its appearance…
Rock Hunting
A meteorite sits on the Antarctic ice while members of a scientific expedition prepare to bag it. Other meteorite hunters,…
Super Tiger
Technicians prepare to launch a giant research balloon from Antarctica during a prior season. Early this month they will launch…
Busy Corpse
This illustration depicts a pulsar, the dead but busy corpse of a once-mighty star. When a massive star can no…
Extreme Life
Mats of algae, bacteria, and other microscopic organisms color the edge of Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park in…
Bright Spokes
Bright “spokes” radiate through Saturn’s rings in this image from the Cassini spacecraft. The most likely explanation is that the…