Before 1931, astronomers could gain information about the cosmos only by visual means, using the naked eye aided by magnifying lenses and reflective mirrors. In the early part of the twentieth century, however, a new way of assessing the nature of the...

By measuring regions of the electromagnetic spectrum not available to optical astronomers, radio astronomy effectively extends the range of astronomical observation. During the twentieth century, radio astronomy advanced to become one of the most...

Since radio astronomers first tuned into the skies, scientists have listened for an elusive radio signal that would confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life. One of the major efforts in the last quarter of the twentieth century was a project...

In 1932, while attempting to determine the source of static interference in radio communication systems, American engineer Karl Jansky (1905-1945) discovered the existence of radio waves emanating from beyond the Earth. Jansky traced all but one of...

Radio astronomy is a subfield of astronomy that studies celestial objects in the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio astronomy techniques are similar to optical techniques but radio telescopes have to be much larger due to the...

Astronomers have stumbled upon a tremendous hole in the universe. That's got them scratching their heads about what's just not there. The cosmic blank spot has no stray stars, no galaxies, no sucking black holes, not even mysterious dark matter. It is 1 billion light...

Astronomers have stumbled upon a tremendous hole in the universe. That's got them scratching their heads about what's just not there. The cosmic blank spot has no stray stars, no galaxies, no sucking black holes, not even mysterious dark matter. It is 1 billion light...

The latest act of senseless violence caught on tape is cosmic in scope: A black hole in a "death star galaxy" blasting a neighboring galaxy with a deadly jet of radiation and energy.A fleet of space and ground telescopes have captured images of this cosmic...

It's almost state fair season again, but this year you could sample one of these annual harvest rituals in the middle of scenic forested mountains instead of flat fields of corn and soybeans. When you're done with the fair, you'll have those...