Space & Future
Potential signs of life on distant planets sound exciting, but confirmation can take years
Astronomers can use telescopes to find specific molecules in the atmospheres of neighboring planets, in nebulae—clouds of interstellar dust and gas—hundreds or thousands of...
Astronomers find the edge of the Milky Way’s star-forming disc
Where exactly is the edge of the Milky Way?
That question is harder to answer than one might expect. Since we’re inside of the galaxy...
Forget our Sun—Planets might form more easily around double stars
For a long time, scientists believed that having two stars in one system would make it difficult for planets to form.
The strong gravitational pull...
Do stars slow down before they die? New study reveals a surprising twist
Stars may look calm and steady in the night sky, but deep inside they are constantly moving and changing.
One of the most important changes...
Young sun-like stars are not as menacing as thought
Scientists know that the behaviour of stars can dictate planetary habitability.
Research shows that young stars emit powerful radiation that can strip planetary atmospheres away.
And...
Curiosity rover uncovers 3.5-billion-year-old organic matter on Mars
NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered a surprising variety of organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals that scientists consider important building blocks for life on...
Scientists map hidden magnetic fields on the sun’s far side
From Earth, we only ever see half of the sun.
The other half—the far side—is always hidden from view. But what happens there still matters.
Powerful...
Cosmic dances reveal the true weight of young stars in Orion
A star’s mass decides almost everything about its life, from how bright it shines to how it eventually dies.
But for young stars hidden deep...
Astronomers spot a Jupiter-like planet with possible ice clouds
Astronomers have discovered a distant planet similar to Jupiter that may be covered with thick clouds, offering new insights into how giant planets form...
Tough fungi could survive the journey to Mars, study finds
Fungi are already known for being tough, but new research suggests that some types might be strong enough to survive the long and harsh...
Mars may have had a giant ocean—Scientists spot a “bathtub ring” clue
Scientists have found new evidence that Mars may once have been home to a vast ocean covering about one-third of the planet.
The discovery comes...
Laser-powered propulsion could cut travel to Alpha Centauri to just 20 years
Traveling to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, is far beyond the reach of today’s rockets. With current technology, such a journey would take...
Deep Space
When a black hole devours a star: The cosmic quakes, shockwaves, and signals left...
Deep in space, some of the universe’s most dramatic events unfold when two extreme objects—like a black hole and a neutron star—spiral together and...
The early universe may have had giant batteries of dust
The largest magnetic fields in the universe may have found themselves charged up when the first stars began to shine, according to new research.
Magnetic...
Dying stars’ cocoons could be new source of gravitational waves
Researchers suggest looking at an entirely unexplored place: The turbulent, energetic cocoons of debris that surround dying massive stars.
What happened to Mars’s water? It is still trapped there!
Billions of years ago, the Red Planet was far more blue.
According to evidence still found on the surface, abundant water flowed across Mars and...
Dust ruins another way of measuring distance in the universe
Astronomers have many ways to measure the distance to galaxies billions of light years away, but most of them rely upon standard candles.
These are...