Features

Galactic Genesis

Seventy-five years after Edwin Hubble deduced the nature of galaxies, astronomers still debate how they form and evolve.

Black Hole Hunters

Meet the people who search the centers of galaxies for the supermassive black holes that power quasars, blazars, and the like.

A Googolplex of Galaxies

Hundreds of billions of stars form a galaxy, and 100 billion galaxies stretch across 100 billion trillion miles. When it comes to the universe, big numbers rule.

Clusters in Collision

Witness the carnage as large galaxies devour small in the packed confines of big clusters.

Let There Be Light

The early months of 1999 saw two new 8-meter telescopes join the other giants atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

Spirals and Giants and Dwarfs Oh My!

The spring sky offers galaxies for every observing taste, from bright sentinels in the nearby universe to colliding pinwheels and huge clusters far away.

Exploring Crater Rays

Born in the aftermath of enormous impacts, the bright lunar crater rays attest to the solar system’s violent history.

Kids’ Corner: Home Spiral

While the starry band of the Milky Way blazes in a dark sky, use it as a visual tool for learning about our galaxy and others.

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