astronomy

New Photo Map of the Milky Way Shows Never-Before-Seen Details

The European Space Agency (ESA) satellite observatory Gaia, whose mission is to produce a 3D map of the Milky Way, has sent back a new and updated map of the galaxy that contains detailed information on more than 1.8 billion sources and is being called a "treasure trove for astronomers."

NASA Shares Time-Lapse of Exploding Star that Outshone Its Entire Galaxy

NASA has just published a stunning, one-of-a-kind time-lapse captured by the Hubble telescope. The short video shows an exploding star (AKA a supernova) in a galaxy 70-million light-years from Earth—a fireworks show so bright it outshone every other star in its galaxy before fading into oblivion.

This is an Ultra-High-Resolution Photo of a Sunspot

The largest solar telescope in Europe has captured groundbreaking photos showing the fine-structure of the Sun. This photo captured at 430nm shows the details of a sunspot, an area that appears dark on the surface of the Sun because it's cooler than other parts around it.

This is What Comet NEOWISE Looks Like from the ISS

As photographers across the world are trying their hands at shooting Comet NEOWISE before it's gone for the next 6,000 years, astronauts onboard the ISS have a nice view of the comet that isn't obscured by Earth's atmosphere. Here's a 7-minute real-time video showing what NEOWISE looks like from about 254 miles above our planet's surface.

A Beginner’s Guide To Photographing Comet NEOWISE

The comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) has arrived in the night sky here in the northern hemisphere, delighting skywatchers and photographers alike. With planning, patience, and clear skies, you can capture an unforgettable image of this celestial event.

Satellite Boom to ‘Wreak Havoc’ on Astrophotography, NASA Says

As more and more satellites are being launched into space, reflected light from these objects is causing increased sky pollution and issues for astronomers and astrophotographers. Now NASA is asking the public for help in monitoring this growing issue, and all you need to do is shoot smartphone photos of the light streaks in the night sky.

These are the Highest Resolution Images Ever Taken of the Sun’s Surface

The National Solar Observatory has just released the highest resolution images and video ever taken of the sun's surface. The images, captured with the National Science Foundation’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, capture the sun in unprecedented detail, revealing features as small as 18 miles (30km) in size for the first time ever.

A 10-Minute Guide to Getting Started in Astrophotography

Photographer Trevor Jones of AstroBackyard started doing astrophotography back in 2010 using his smartphone and point-and-shoot camera. After working on his craft for nearly a decade, Jones just made this 10-minute video guide sharing what he would do if he were starting out in astrophotography all over again today.

NASA Captures the Galaxy’s Biggest Fireworks Show

As photographers in the US are gearing up to capture photos of 4th of July fireworks, NASA has released a gorgeous "fireworks" photo of its own. It's a shot of a "the galaxy's biggest ongoing stellar fireworks show" that started 170 years ago.

Scientific Errors in Those Nat Geo Milky Way Photos

The night sky offers an unlimited source of markers (e.g. stars, constellations, Milky Way, etc.) that never lie about the time of year and location in the world you shot a night sky picture from. You don’t even need to be a professional astronomer or to double-check RAW files to prove it.

How to Take a Picture of a Black Hole

The first-ever picture of a black hole was unveiled yesterday, generating a huge amount of interest and excitement across the world. But how exactly was this picture captured? Well, it definitely wasn't as simple as "pointing and clicking" a giant camera.

Curiosity Rover Captures Two Solar Eclipses on Mars

Photographers have captured many awe-inspiring photos of solar eclipses in recent years. But Earth isn't the only planet photos are being shot from: NASA's Curiosity rover has captured some beautiful solar eclipse photos over the past few weeks from the surface of Mars.

Lunar Eclipse Video Catches Meteorite Hitting the Moon

During the super blood wolf moon total lunar eclipse on Monday, cameras pointed at the moon captured the first known sighting of a meteorite slamming into the shadow-covered moon. This 24-second video of the impact was released by Jose Maria Madiedo at the University of Huelva in Spain.

New Photos Show Water Ice on Mars

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released an eye-opening pair of new photos that show a massive crater of water ice on Mars. The crater measures 51 miles (83km) across and contains a 1.1-mile-thick (1.8km) mound of water ice all year round.

Visiting the World’s Largest Digital Camera

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is a telescope that will contain the largest digital camera ever built. Here's a 4-minute video in which the folks at Gizmodo pay a visit to the 3.2-gigapixel camera that's the size of a small car.

Zoom Into the Black Hole at the Center of the Milky Way

Scientists just further confirmed what has long been believed: that there's a supermassive black hole scientists named Sagittarius A* at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. This mind-blowing 1.5-minute video zooms in from a wide view of the night sky into the tiny little area where the latest telescopic observations were just made.

The Winning Photos of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018

The Royal Observatory Greenwich prestigious Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest has unveiled the overall winners for the 2018 edition. The top prize was awarded to American photographer Brad Goldpaint, whose photo "Transport the Soul" (shown above) captures Moab, Utah, with a photographer, rock formations, Andromeda (left) and the Milky Way (right).