With this new map of the Milky Way, astronomers can calculate the galaxy's mass and learn more about its past and future.

SPACE
Whether you’ve seen a northern lights show in Alaska, Iceland, or not at all, you’re eligible to suggest they name the next storm after your dog.
On December 20, 2019, Donald Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, creating a sixth branch of the U.S. military: The United States Space Force.
NASA's new-and-improved space toilet has a redesigned seat that should be more accommodating to female astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
With more time to stargaze, people have reported more than 5000 sightings of unidentified flying objects so far in 2020.
Two geomagnetic storms are predicted to make the northern lights appear at lower latitudes this week.
The northern lights were spotted the night the 'Titanic' sank, and the solar storm that caused them may have contributed to the ship's demise.
Many people think they know what being an astronaut is like, but real astronauts will tell you that working for NASA is a lot different from what’s portrayed in movies.
Astronomers are still unsure whether the object headed toward Earth is an asteroid or a piece of debris left over from a 50-year-old rocket launch.
A blue moon on Halloween only happens once in a blue moon (once every 19 years or so, in this case.)
In October and early November, the Draconid, Taurid, and Orionid meteor showers will light up the night skies.
Jeanette Epps has dreamed of being a NASA astronaut since age 9, and her first-ever spaceflight will make history.
Two asteroids are projected to swing by Earth in the coming months, but the odds of them causing a problem are very low.
Just a few months after its discovery, the C/2020 F3 NEOWISE comet will disappear until the year 8736.
We've all seen 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.' But if you find an alien in your backyard—who you gonna call?
The last (or third) quarter moon is named for the moon phase it’s in—not how much of the moon is visible.
NASA scientist Geronimo Villanueva built a tool that models the colorful, alien sunsets of planets like Mars, Uranus, and Venus.
It’s not Chanel No. 5, but it is the closest you can get to finding out what space smells like without going there.
Mary W. Jackson, NASA’s first Black female engineer, was an unsung hero of the Space Race in the 1960s.
SpaceX is about to make company history when it launches its first crewed spacecraft for a mission to the International Space Station. Here are the best places to stream the event.
NASA's Juno spacecraft got a close look at the mesmerizing clouds above Jupiter on two recent fly-bys.
Before SpaceX sends its Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, see what the astronauts onboard will experience with this free docking simulator.