In 1892, George Ellery Hale, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Chicago, convinced the university president to acquire two 40-inch telescope lens blanks. With funding from Charles Yerkes, a Chicago mass-transit tycoon looking to refurbish his image, Hale spearheaded the creation of an observatory to house the Great Refractor made with these blanks.Continue reading "Oct. 21, 1897: Yerkes Observatory is dedicated"

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A new simulation suggests little red dots, unusually compact objects seen in photos from space, might be one stage in the evolution of black holes.

Thousands of planets have been discovered beyond our solar system, offering clues to where life might thrive and whether Earth is truly unique.

During early calibration tests, the MOTHRA telescope’s array of lenses, which will soon number 1,140, captured stellar debris dissolving into space around the Helix Nebula.

Amateur and professional astronomers pointed their telescopes at the impact site. Most did not detect anything.

A spacecraft meant to push NASA’s Swift Observatory to a higher orbit malfunctioned and started tumbling several days ago. Engineers think it can still succeed.

Residents fear that the Trump administration’s plans to build a border wall will threaten the region’s spectacular starry skies.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich celebrates its 351st anniversary today. Founded by King Charles II on June 22, 1675, the observatory was tasked with solving “the longitude problem,” the lack of accurate east-west positioning at sea because of the difficulty of precise timekeeping during long voyages. John Flamsteed, the first astronomer royal, led meticulous observations ofContinue reading "June 22, 1675: The Royal Observatory Greenwich is founded"

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In 1995, he and Thomas Bopp spotted, from different states, the same mysterious object in the sky. What turned out to be a comet was named after them: Hale-Bopp.

In the 1870s, real-estate mogul James Lick established a trust of $700,000 (around $1.2 billion today) for the purpose of constructing the world’s most powerful telescope. By August 1875, he had selected the peak of Mount Hamilton, near San Jose, California, as his site, taking advantage of the clear air at the high elevation. ConstructionContinue reading "June 1, 1888: Lick Observatory changes hands"

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