Space & Future
One wrong hit could send an asteroid on a collision course with Earth
When a massive asteroid is hurtling toward Earth, the solution seems straightforward; smash a spacecraft into it and knock it off course.
That’s exactly what...
Why autonomous reactors are key to powering human life on Mars
Sending humans to Mars will require reliable energy systems that can work without constant human attention.
One of the most promising options is nuclear power,...
A star is devouring its twin in a cosmic feeding frenzy
Astronomers have discovered a star system unlike anything seen before: a greedy white dwarf star is feasting on its much larger stellar companion at...
The messy habits of small black holes
The best opportunity to study black holes is when they're actively accreting matter.
During these times, matter gathers in an accretion disk around the black...
Mars has a solid core, solving a planetary mystery
For decades, scientists have puzzled over the deep interior of Mars.
Did it resemble Earth, with a solid center wrapped in a liquid outer core,...
A new shape for telescopes could help us find “Earth 2.0”
For all we know, Earth is the only place in the universe that hosts life.
Every living thing here depends on liquid water, which provides...
Astronomers detect protostellar jets in the Milky Way’s outskirts
Astronomers have made a remarkable discovery that sheds new light on how stars are born.
Using the powerful Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile,...
Astronomers discover strange disk around Fomalhaut that hints at hidden planets
brightest stars near Earth, and what they found is rewriting the story of this fascinating system.
Using the powerful Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in...
Solar flares found to be far hotter than we ever imagined
For decades, scientists have known that solar flares—huge bursts of energy from the sun’s outer atmosphere—can reach astonishing temperatures of more than 10 million...
Webb Telescope spots warm space dust escaping a distant galaxy
In a far-off galaxy named Makani—Hawaiian for “wind”—astronomers have spotted something remarkable.
Tiny dust particles, heated by the light of newborn stars, were carried out...
Early-universe stars likely formed in pairs, study finds
Astronomers have long known that many of the largest stars in our Milky Way do not live alone but instead exist in pairs.
Now, an...
Scientists detect traces of ancient magnetic fields in the early universe
Magnetism is everywhere in the universe today—from the Earth’s protective magnetic shield to the powerful fields surrounding stars and galaxies.
But where did it all...
Deep Space
May’s full moon comes with supermoon eclipse
As we approach month’s end, there is not one, not two, but three celestial events happening with our Moon!
The Moon will be located on...
This is the most detailed family portrait for black holes to date
Astronomers have produced the most detailed family portrait of black holes to date, offering new clues as to how black holes form.
Intense analysis of...
Two major meteorite impacts reveal new insights about Martian crust
Following two large meteorite impacts on Mars, near-surface seismic waves have been recorded for the first time on a planet other than Earth.
The...
Why does the inner solar system not spin faster?
The motion of a tiny number of charged particles may solve a long-standing mystery about thin gas disks rotating around young stars, according to...
Satellite in sun’s backyard unravels the origins of interplanetary dust
What do shooting stars and astronaut safety have in common?
Both stem from the sub-microscopic rock fragments found throughout the solar system, sometimes called interplanetary...