"At first, I thought I completely messed up during our research," Olivia Achenbach of the United States Naval Academy told reporters on Monday (Jan. 13) at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Maryland. "Because it's such a large supermassive black hole at the center, we'd predicted we'd see an elliptical galaxy."

Hubble Space Telescope imagery Neptune has revealed that the planet's clouds are disappearing. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

The alignment of seven planets in the night sky has captivated observers for centuries, inspiring awe and curiosity. This celestial event, commonly referred to as a planetary parade, is not just a visual spectacle but also a significant opportunity for scientific inquiry.

On Tuesday evening (January 21), six planets will line up in the night's sky – Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Venus. Best viewed in clear skies free of cloud, the individual ...

Six planets – Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – are currently visible ... However, if a large galaxy or cluster of galaxies passes between our line of sight with a much ...

Our galaxy, while not small, isn't nearly as big as Andromeda. We harbor some 100 to 400 billion stars. One day, however, the two galaxies may collide, forming a giant, egg-shaped elliptical galaxy.

In the years following the launch of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have tallied over 1 trillion galaxies in the universe. But only one galaxy stands out as the most important nearby stellar island to our Milky Way -- the magnificent Andromeda galaxy (Messier 31).

Astronomers have discovered an extraordinary new giant radio galaxy with plasma jets 32 times the size of our Milky Way.

The Hubble Space Telescope completes a high-resolution portrait of our galaxy's gorgeous neighbor, which will help scientists better understand our Milky Way.

Andromeda is the closest large galaxy to the Milky Way. And it is getting closer, as the two will merge in several billion years. It has been an object of study for centuries, but we have never ...

The breadth of the Galaxy line-up means anyone can get a good deal on great tech, although the regular refreshes can make it hard to figure out which device is the current best option for you.