Start with a question: what can I see, what does an image measure, or how strong is a discovery’s evidence? These guides connect observations with the steps and assumptions needed to interpret them.
Plan observations and read telescope images
Roman Space Telescope: Follow and Interpret Its Results
Follow Roman mission updates, understand its surveys and planet detections, and evaluate the evidence, calibration and uncertainty behind its results.
Comets: What You See and How to Plan an Observation
Understand comet tails and brightness, use an ephemeris for your location, and plan a realistic night-sky observation.
Solar Dynamics Observatory: How to Read Solar Images
Choose AIA and HMI products, compare timestamps and solar features, and distinguish image observations from space-weather forecasts.
James Webb Space Telescope: How to Read Its Images and Spectra
Read Webb image colors, filters, scale bars and spectra, and trace an astronomical claim back to its observation.
Infrared Telescopes: Wavelengths, Thermal Background and What Images Reveal
Compare infrared observations through wavelength, sensitivity and resolution, with examples from VISIR and Webb.
Explore water, ice and planetary systems
Water on the Moon: Ice, Molecules, Measurements and Resources
Distinguish lunar ice, water molecules and hydroxyl, compare the evidence, and evaluate claims about usable deposits.
Europa: Ocean Evidence, Ice-Shell Questions and Europa Clipper
Follow the evidence for Europa's ocean, understand ice-thickness uncertainty, and see which questions Europa Clipper can address.
Enceladus: What Its Plumes Reveal About an Ocean World
Connect Cassini's plume measurements with ocean evidence, phosphorus and chemical energy, while distinguishing habitability from life detection.
Saturn's Rings: Structure, Changing Views and the Age Debate
Understand ring particles and gaps, changing viewing geometry, Cassini's findings and the assumptions behind ring-age estimates.
Understand distant galaxies and stellar mergers
The Most Distant Galaxies: Redshift, Lookback Time and Confirmation
Understand cosmic distance and redshift, separate galaxy candidates from confirmations, and assess farthest-galaxy discoveries.
Merging Neutron Stars: Following the Evidence from Waves to Light
Follow GW170817 from its gravitational-wave chirp to gamma rays and a kilonova, and understand what each observation established.
Work with astronomy data
10 Ways AI is Aiding Astronomy
Explore how AI helps process surveys, detect candidates, calibrate data and support forecasts, with scientific validation throughout.
Historical mission and discovery reports
These reports preserve the findings, plans and terminology of their publication dates. Mission schedules, capabilities and scientific interpretations may have changed.
High-energy cosmic neutrinos
2018 report. A 2018 report on the IceCube alert and evidence connecting a neutrino with a blazar.
Galaxy interaction: NGC 1510 and NGC 1512
2017 report. A 2017 Hubble account of how an interacting pair reshapes galactic structure and star formation.
Methyl chloride in interstellar space
2017 report. A 2017 report of molecular detections around a young star system and comet 67P.
Antennae Galaxies
2008 report. A 2008 account of the interacting galaxies, their tidal tails and distance estimates.
Dawn arrives at Vesta
2011 report. A 2011 report of Dawn entering orbit around the asteroid Vesta.
Exotic substances on super-Earths
2015 report. A 2015 account of proposed compounds under the pressures inside super-Earths.
Carbon dioxide and an exoplanet atmosphere
2008 report. A 2008 report of a claimed atmospheric detection in HD 189733b; read in its historical context.
Naming the Fermi telescope
2008 report. A 2008 account of the gamma-ray observatory receiving its name and beginning science work.
Magnetic reconnection
2015 report. A 2015 account of magnetic-field rearrangement and the MMS mission.
Microquasar jets in Cygnus X-3
2009 report. A 2009 report connecting Fermi gamma-ray observations with a jet-producing binary.
Mapping the Moon’s topography
2010 report. A 2010 account of lunar terrain measurements from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Installing an ALMA radio antenna
2009 report. A 2009 report of antenna delivery and installation in the Chilean Andes.
SOFIA’s telescope-door flight test
2009 report. A 2009 flight-test milestone for the airborne infrared observatory.
Water-loss estimates for TRAPPIST-1 planets
2017 report. A 2017 report on ultraviolet observations and possible water retention.
The December 2010 lunar eclipse
2010 report. Historical viewing information for the December 20–21, 2010 event.
WISE before launch
2009 report. A 2009 preview of the mission’s planned infrared sky survey.
Flight simulation graphics
2005 report. A 2005 account of Aerospace Blockset 2 and desktop vehicle visualization.
Interplanetary supply-chain research
2005 report. A 2005 account of research into logistics for human and robotic exploration.
Cassini’s Phoebe flyby
2004 report. A 2004 account of Cassini’s close encounter with Saturn’s moon Phoebe.
Allen Telescope Array funding
2004 report. A 2004 account of funding and construction plans; proposed sizes reflect that period.
Laser guide stars and stellar disks
2004 report. A 2004 observing report using adaptive optics to reduce atmospheric blurring.