NASA Kepler Mission Discovers Double Sunset

NASA's Kepler mission, intended "to explore the structure and diversity of planetary systems," recently discovered a planet orbiting two stars. One consequence of the planet's position is that it experienced double sunsets. This phenomenon, something of a staple in popular science fiction, has now been established as scientific fact. (Kepler, by the way, is the name of a 17th Century German mathematician and astronomer.)

NASA provides much more information on this event, and it's great fun to read.

The image, from NASA, shows the Kepler spacecraft.