Astronomers measure Milky Way using radio waves

Collection of radio telescopes measured a span of 66,000 light-years from Earth across the Milky Way​'s center to a star-forming area near the edge of the other side of the galaxy

• Oct 22, 2017

Surprising discovery about Milky Way's fastest stars

About 10,000 stars zipping through the Milky Way may actually be runaways from a neighboring galaxy, researchers say

• Jul 5, 2017

Stunning time-lapse shows the Milky Way lit up by Aurora Australis

Amateur photographer Sam Wilson captured the Milky Way and Aurora Australis in this stunning time-lapse video

• Mar 9, 2017

Black holes regurgitate "spitballs" after devouring stars

New research shows that when a black hole devours a star, it spews planet-size "spitballs" of regurgitated gas

• Jan 12, 2017

How the Milky Way got its name

Tracing the mysterious history of the galaxy we call home

• Nov 7, 2016

Hubble telescope captures beauty of nearby galaxy

Behold a rare sight: bright-blue wisps of glowing gas and sparkling young stars in one of the closest galaxies to Earth

• Sep 13, 2016

Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist

Breathtaking images of the Milky Way, the Northern Lights and more

• Aug 23, 2016
• 33 photos

Will the Great Attractor destroy us?

Scientists wonder whether a mysterious force far beyond our galaxy will ultimately destroy us

• Aug 18, 2016

Why Grand Canyon's new distinction is "life-changing" for stargazers

Seeing the national park in daylight is only half the story. Jeff Glor watched astronomers gather for a "Star Party"

• Aug 12, 2016

Researchers discover X-shaped formation in Milky Way

An astronomer's Twitter post leads to clues about the formation of our galaxy

• Jul 26, 2016

Light bending trick reveals supremely old, faint galaxy

Scientists have pinpointed a very early galaxy that is one of the faintest ever seen

• May 25, 2016

Small blue galaxy could reveal clues to the Big Bang

A faint blue galaxy about 30 million light-years away from Earth might hold clues to the origin of the universe

• May 13, 2016

What are the odds of other intelligent life in the universe?

A new study recalculates the likelihood of intelligent life existing elsewhere in the cosmos

• Apr 28, 2016

Hubble Telescope captures new glimpse of mysterious cosmic object

NASA: New image gives scientists the best understanding yet of the enigma known as the "Red Rectangle"

• Apr 26, 2016

Hubble Space Telescope finds most distant galaxy yet

Galaxy formed relatively soon after the Big Bang, letting astronomers take "a major step back in time"

• Mar 4, 2016

Snickers, Milky Way and other Mars candy bars recalled

Chocolate maker Mars recalls chocolate bars in 55 countries after problem is found

• Feb 23, 2016

Hundreds of hidden galaxies glimpsed behind Milky Way

New view from a radio telescope reveals hundreds of galaxies we were never able to see before

• Feb 9, 2016

In search for alien life, focus on globular star clusters

Analysis of stellar neighborhoods in globular clusters suggest they could be favorable environments for advanced civilizations

• Jan 6, 2016

Real life "Star Wars"? Hubble spots "lightsaber" in space

Spectacular new image from the Hubble Space Telescope looks like something out of a Hollywood special effects studio

• Dec 18, 2015

These may be the oldest stars in the Milky Way

"This work really changes our ideas of what the first stars would have looked like"

• Nov 11, 2015

​Photographer startled by Milky Way encounter

He was photographing the stars one second and then nearly jumped out of his boots the next

• Nov 10, 2015

Why is the Milky Way's monster black hole belching?

Astronomers aren't sure what made the giant back hole at the galaxy's center emit a huge number of powerful X-ray flares

• Oct 27, 2015

​Largest space map ever shows Milky Way in 46B pixels

It would take 22,000 HD TVs to see the whole thing at once

• Oct 22, 2015

Massive black hole wakes up after 26 years

After a quarter century of silence, a black hole the size of 12 suns is bursting with X-ray and gamma ray activity

• Jun 25, 2015

Astronomers spot brightest galaxy in early universe

"It doesn't really get any more exciting than this," scientist says of the distant galaxy, which was named for a star athlete

• Jun 17, 2015

Show More