Discover Life's Building Blocks on Asteroid Ryugu and the Latest News on Comet C/2026 A1 MAPS

Read news from the world of astronomy for the week of March 20, 2026.

Having trouble viewing this email? {Click here to read it on the Web.} Read news from the world of astronomy for the week of March 20, 2026. Subscribe to Sky & Telescope Magazine to receive full access to the articles below. Visit our FAQ page to learn more. Happy first day of spring! This week in the world of astronomy, find the latest news on Comet C/2026 A1 MAPS and the building blocks of life on asteroid Ryugu. Plus, see the Small Magellanic Cloud transform before your eyes. This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 20 – 29 Look west in the fading twilight this evening for the eerily thin crescent Moon hanging about 8° above Venus. Spring begins today in the Northern Hemisphere, fall in the Southern Hemisphere. Earth crosses the March equinox point in its orbit at 10:46 a.m. EDT. Read More Astro-News Highlights Molten Sulfurous World Blurs Exoplanet Categories An oddly low-density planet isn’t quite rocky or gaseous — instead, it might have a deep ocean of magma and a stinky, sulfurous atmosphere. Read More A Nearby Dwarf Galaxy is Transforming Before Our Eyes The Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy near the Milky Way, is undergoing a complete galactic transformation after a recent collision with its nearest neighbor. Read More Asteroid Ryugu Also Contains Life’s Building Blocks Samples returned from Ryugu contain all five nucleobases, just like from asteroid Bennu. The find suggests life’s ingredients could have come from outside Earth. Read More Rubin Observatory Detects Record-Breaking Asteroids The Rubin Observatory has detected thousands of new asteroids, including several that spin a lot faster than expected for typical rubble piles. Read More Visit Shop @ Sky for Atlases, Globes, and More! Observing Highlights Latest News on the Kreutz Sungrazing Comet C/2026 A1 MAPS As the comet prepares for its perilous perihelion passage, we look at what to expect. Read More Astro-Imaging: Palettes of the Deep Sky Different filters help reveal the chemistry of the universe. Read More March Podcast: The Winter Triangle This month’s episode showcases the stars and planets visible on March evenings. Track down three planets after sunset, and savor the easy-to-spot Winter Triangle. Presented by: Celestron. Read More Community Star Gazing Under the Night Sky The City of College Park is excited to host, in partnership with the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), a special evening of stargazing and hands-on astronomy experiences. Residents and visitors of all ages are invited to join NASM educators and astronomy enthusiasts for a fun and educational night under the stars. The event will take place on Friday, March 27, from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Calvert Hills Playground & Field, located at 4601 Calvert Road. Admission is free, and no tickets or reservations are required. Read More Explore the Worlds of Project Hail Mary When Andy Weir published Project Hail Mary, he based his novel on two worlds. We explore these planet candidates — and why they probably don’t exist. Read More Observing? But it's So Cold Outside! Stay warm with Sky & Telescope merch this January. Our high-quality, branded winter wear will help you keep out the cold while gazing up at the scintillating winter stars. Read More   Shop the S&T Swag Store Today! Sky & Telescope | American Astronomical Society | Privacy Policy

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