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K2-315b is an Earth-sized exoplanet with an orbital period of 3.14 days, matching the mathematical constant Pi. 1 post
The planet orbits a cool, red M dwarf star and is likely very warm due to its proximity to the star. 1 post
Discovered in 2020 using data from the Kepler Space Telescope's K2 mission, it is located over 185 light-years away. 1 post
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Latest posts
Flying Past Neptunes Moon Triton
Flying Past Neptune's Moon Triton Image Credit: NASA; JPL, Voyager 2, Digital composition: Paul Schenk (LPI, USRA) Explanation: What would it look like to fly past Triton, the largest moon of planet Neptune? Only one spacecraft has ever done this -- and the images of this d
M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
M27: The Dumbbell Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Francesco Antonucci Explanation: Is this what will become of our Sun? Quite possibly. The first hint of our Sun's future was discovered inadvertently in 1764. At that time, Charles Messier was compiling a list of diffuse objects
Keogram: The Sky in 2025
Keogram: The Sky in 2025 Image Credit & License: Cees Bassa (Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy) Explanation: What if you could see the entire sky -- all at once -- for an entire year? That, very nearly, is what is pictured here. Every 15 seconds during 2025, an all-sky c
Daytime Moon Meets Evening Star
Daytime Moon Meets Evening Star Image Credit & Copyright: Debra Ceravolo Explanation: Venus is now appearing on the celestial stage as Earth's brilliant evening star, performing with the Moon, other wandering planets, and bright stars in western skies. For evening sky gazers on Ju
Starry Night II
Starry Night II Image Credit & Copyright: Rodrigo Guerra, Original Painting: Vincent van Gogh Explanation: Does this scene look familiar? It is a modern recreation of the famous painting Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. Both the image and the painting depict a tall tree on
Possible Supernova Remnant in Galactic Center
Possible Supernova Remnant in Galactic Center Image Credit & Copyright: X-ray: NASA/CXC/UCLA/Z. Zhu et al.; ESA/XMM-Newton; Optical: PanSTARRS; Radio: MeerKAT; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and P. Edmonds Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II) Explana
Longmore 8: The Hamster Wheel Nebula
Longmore 8: The Hamster Wheel Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Mazlin, Parker, Forman, Magill, Hanson Text: Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II) Explanation: How did a hamster wheel get into space? The Hamster Wheel Nebula (Longmore 8) was discovered by Andre
Moons, Rings, Shadows, Clouds: Saturn Cassini
Moons, Rings, Shadows, Clouds: Saturn (Cassini) Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Space Science Institute Explanation: While cruising around Saturn, be on the lookout for picturesque arrangements of moons, rings, and shadows. One such striking sight occurred in 2005 and was captur
Triple Shockwave from Sun Crossing Rocket
Triple Shockwave from Sun Crossing Rocket Image Credit & Copyright: John Winkopp (WAI Media) Explanation: What's happening to this Sun-crossing rocket? The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, visible on the upper left, launched only about one minute before this amazing image was captured.
10 Days of Venus and Jupiter
10 Days of Venus and Jupiter Image Credit & Copyright: Aditya Pawar Explanation: Venus and Jupiter may have caught your attention lately. The recent close conjunction of the two brightest planets in recent evening skies has been hard to miss. With Jupiter at the top, starting
Interplanetary Earth
Interplanetary Earth Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA & NASA / JHU Applied Physics Lab / Carnegie Inst. Washington Explanation: In an interplanetary first, on July 19, 2013 Earth was photographed on the same day from two other worlds of the Solar System, in
Venus and Jupiter: Conjunction from Avebury
Venus and Jupiter: Conjunction from Avebury Image Credit & Copyright: Josh Dury Explanation: To see Venus and Jupiter together this month, you won't need binoculars or even a telescope. Just look up after sunset and you'll find them emerging as the sky grows dark near the western horizon
The Mermaid Nebula Supernova Remnant
The Mermaid Nebula Supernova Remnant Image Credit & Copyright: Data acquisition: Sy Ming Wong; Processing: Guangyan Gao Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II) Explanation: Could the Little Mermaid turn into stardust instead of seafoam? It would seem so i
The Eagle Nebula and Friends
The Eagle Nebula and Friends Image Credit & Copyright: Emmanuel Delgadillo Text: Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II) Explanation: What looks as if it is going to swallow the great Pillars of Creation? The Eagle Nebula (M16) is not a bird, a plane, or Superm
Thors Helmet
Thor's Helmet Image Credit & Copyright: Josep Drudis, Christian Sasse Explanation: Thor not only has his own day (Thursday), but a helmet in the heavens. Popularly called Thor's Helmet, NGC 2359 is a hat-shaped cosmic cloud with wing-like appendages. Heroically sized even for
Comet R3 PanSTARRS Through Time
Comet R3 PanSTARRS Through Time Image Credit & Copyright: Jakub Kuřák & Martin Mašek (FZU of the Czech Academy of Sciences) Explanation: What happens to a comet as it leaves our inner Solar System? Now, the arrival of a comet into the inner Solar System is typically heralded wit
Jupiter and Venus from Earth
Jupiter and Venus from Earth Image Credit & Copyright: Marek Nikodem (PPSAE) Explanation: It was visible around the world. The sunset conjunction of Jupiter (left) and Venus (right) in 2012 was visible almost no matter where you lived on Earth. Anyone on our planet with a clear
Charon: Moon of Pluto
Charon: Moon of Pluto Image Credit: NASA, Johns Hopkins Univ./APL, Southwest Research Institute, U.S. Naval Observatory Explanation: A darkened and mysterious north polar region known to some as Mordor Macula caps this premier view of Charon, Pluto's largest moon. The high-resol
The Hydra Cluster of Galaxies
The Hydra Cluster of Galaxies Image Credit & Copyright: Rafael Sampaio Explanation: Within our own Milky Way galaxy, two bright, spiky stars stand like sentinels in the foreground of this cosmic snapshot. Far beyond them are the galaxies of the Hydra Cluster. In fact, while the s
A Planetary Nebula with Cosmic Buckyballs
A Planetary Nebula with Cosmic Buckyballs Image Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/J. Cami (Western University); Image Processing: K. Beecroft Text: Jan Cami (Western University) & Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II) Explanation: What is happening inside this unusual nebula?
Andromeda Through Gas and Dust
Andromeda Through Gas and Dust Image Credit & Copyright: Nick Fritz Text: Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II) Explanation: Over 1000 years ago, Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi published humanity’s oldest known record of the Andromeda Galaxy in "The
The Vela Supernova Remnant
The Vela Supernova Remnant Image Credit & Copyright: José Mtanous Explanation: The explosion is over, but the consequences continue. About twelve thousand years ago, a relatively normal star in the constellation Vela suddenly exploded, creating a strange point of light briefly v
Saturn at Night
Saturn at Night Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Space Science Institute, Mindaugas Macijauskas Explanation: Telescopic views of Saturn and its beautiful rings often make it the star of star parties. But this stunning view of the outer gas gaint planet's rings and night side just
Eagle Nebula Pillars in Infrared from Hubble
Eagle Nebula Pillars in Infrared from Hubble Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, HLA; Processing: Luis Romero Ventura Explanation: Newborn stars are forming in the Eagle Nebula. They are gravitationally contracting in pillars of dense gas and dust. The intense radiation of th
Supermoon Versus Micromoon
Supermoon Versus Micromoon Image Credit: Soumyadeep Mukherjee Explanation: What is so micro about tonight's blue micromoon? Just after sunset, a full moon will appear slightly smaller and dimmer than usual. The reason is that the Moon's fully illuminated phase occurs within