When we look up at the night sky, we see thousands of twinkling points of light. Most of these are stars, giant balls of hot gas just like our own Sun. But not all stars are created equal. Some are small and dim, while others are incredibly large and bright. One of the most famous … Read more
The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, is the most powerful space observatory ever built. It has been scanning the skies and has found something amazing that is making scientists rethink everything. It has spotted the oldest, most distant supermassive black hole we have ever seen. This object is not just a little old; it … Read more
The universe is full of amazing and mysterious objects. We have giant stars, spinning planets, and beautiful nebulae. But perhaps the most fascinating and powerful things in all of space are black holes. Most people have heard of them, but they are often misunderstood. They are not empty holes or portals. A black hole is … Read more
At the very heart of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, lies a cosmic giant. This giant is a supermassive black hole named Sagittarius A* (pronounced Sagittarius A-star). For a long time, scientists thought of it as a relatively quiet and sleeping monster. Unlike the supermassive black holes in other galaxies, which are often seen violently feasting on stars and gas, ours seemed … Read more
Black holes are some of the most interesting objects in the entire universe. They are famous for being mysterious and powerful, and many people feel a little nervous just thinking about them. A black hole is not really a “hole” at all. It is an area in space where a huge amount of matter has … Read more
Our planet has a new, tiny companion on its long journey around the Sun. Astronomers recently announced the discovery of a small asteroid, named 2025 PN7, that is following Earth in a very special and unusual orbit. This discovery has caused a lot of excitement, with many people calling it a new “mini-moon.” It is … Read more
When we look up at the night sky, we see objects with names that feel ancient and permanent, like Mars, Jupiter, or our own Moon. These names are part of our culture. But astronomers are discovering new objects in space all the time. We are finding new moons orbiting other planets, new dwarf planets hiding … Read more
When we look at pictures of our solar system, Saturn is the undisputed star. Its giant, bright rings of ice and dust are beautiful and make it unique. Our own planet, Earth, just has a simple moon. And our neighbor, Mars, is a red, dusty planet with two tiny, lumpy moons. But this may not … Read more
Mars has always captured our attention. It is our closest planetary neighbor that is not a scorching hothouse like Venus. We see its reddish tint in the night sky and send rovers to crawl across its dusty, rocky surface. We know it has giant canyons, towering volcanoes, and polar ice caps. It is a world … Read more
Our Sun is the center of our solar system, a giant, hot star that gives us light and warmth. We often think of it as a perfect, glowing ball of light that is always the same. But the Sun is actually a very active and dynamic place. It has weather, storms, and changing features, much … Read more