Space & Future
Earth was already moving 3.5 billion years ago, study finds
The story of our planet is written in the slow movement of its surface.
Over billions of years, shifting tectonic plates have shaped continents, opened...
How will Martian gravity affect skeletal muscle
NASA and the China National Space Agency (CNSA) plan to send astronauts to Mars as early as the next decade.
Naturally, this ambitious goal requires...
This pair of brown dwarfs can’t get enough of each other
Binary stars are known to transfer mass to one another. In extreme cases, mass transfer can even cause a supernova explosion. That happens when...
When two ‘failed stars’ team up to light the sky
Brown dwarfs are often called “failed stars” because they are too small to keep nuclear fusion going in their cores, the process that makes...
Scientists discover “rotten egg” planet with a massive ocean of lava
Astronomers have discovered a strange new kind of planet beyond our solar system—one that may be covered by a vast, long-lasting ocean of molten...
A giant space rock’s scars may reveal how planets were born
Asteroid 16 Psyche has puzzled scientists for more than 200 years.
Now, new research suggests that its large craters could hold the key to understanding...
A “cotton candy” planet wrapped in haze leaves scientists puzzled
Astronomers have taken a closer look at one of the strangest planets ever discovered, and it is raising more questions than answers.
The planet, called...
Scientists discover one of the oldest stars ever, with almost no iron
Astronomers have discovered one of the oldest and most primitive stars ever found, offering a rare glimpse into the early universe.
The star, named PicII-503,...
Nearby galaxies suggest the universe may be expanding more slowly than thought
For decades, scientists have tried to measure how fast the universe is expanding.
This expansion rate is known as the Hubble constant, and it plays...
Astronomers discover powerful “cosmic laser” shining from halfway across the universe
Astronomers using a powerful radio telescope in South Africa have discovered an extraordinary cosmic signal coming from more than 8 billion light-years away.
The signal...
Astronomers discover alcohol-rich interstellar comet passing through our solar system
Astronomers studying a rare interstellar comet have discovered something surprising: it contains unusually large amounts of methanol, a type of alcohol.
The discovery offers a...
Why are some stars always visible while others come and go with the seasons
As a space scientist, every time I go outside with my family, I tell my children to look up at the sky.
The front door...
Deep Space
Demise of Arecibo telescope marks sad end of an era
On the morning of Dec. 1, the Arecibo radio telescope — a storied tool for atmospheric science and astronomy that has produced valuable research...
Communicating with a relativistic spacecraft gets pretty weird
Someday, in the not-too-distant future, humans may send robotic probes to explore nearby star systems.
These robot explorers will likely take the form of lightsails...
How to think about a four-dimensional universe
In Einstein’s famous theory of relativity the concepts of immutable space and time aren’t just put aside, they’re explicitly and emphatically rejected.
Space and time...
Scientists detect strongest clues yet of alien life on a distant planet
Astronomers have detected the most promising signs so far of possible life beyond our solar system.
Using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an...
Galaxies discharge metal-tinged gases into the universe
Astronomers at the University of California, San Diego have learned more about what exhaust from galaxies is composed of and how galactic emissions are...