Space & Future
Scientists discover a fast-spinning red giant star orbiting a silent black hole
Astronomers have uncovered the unusual history of a distant red giant star by “listening” to tiny vibrations rippling through it.
These vibrations, known as starquakes,...
Scientists capture the sound of sparks on Mars
For the first time, scientists have confirmed that tiny bursts of electricity are happening in the atmosphere of Mars.
These sparks were picked up by...
Mysterious ultraviolet light found in baby star nurseries
Astronomers have discovered something unexpected in the birthplaces of young stars: ultraviolet (UV) radiation where it should not exist.
Using the powerful James Webb Space...
After nearly 100 years, dark matter may finally have been seen
Nearly 100 years ago, astronomer Fritz Zwicky made a strange discovery while studying the movement of galaxies.
He noticed that galaxies were moving far faster...
Scientists find possible boiling oceans hidden beneath icy moons
Out in the cold, distant reaches of our solar system, many moons are wrapped in thick layers of ice.
At first glance, these worlds look...
Cosmic dust could help create life in space
Scientists have discovered that tiny particles of cosmic dust may play a much more important role in creating the building blocks of life than...
Why Earth has moving plates and Venus doesn’t
Scientists have taken an important step toward solving one of the biggest mysteries in planetary science: why Earth is covered in moving tectonic plates,...
Maybe Mars isn’t hiding liquid water under its south pole after all
For years, scientists have been intrigued by a mysterious signal coming from the icy south pole of Mars.
In 2018, a radar instrument called MARSIS,...
Earth and Theia were neighbors before they collided
According to the leading theory of how the Earth-Moon system formed (the Giant Impact Hypothesis), a Mars-sized object (named Theia) collided with a proto-Earth...
Scientists trace the moon’s birth to Earth’s nearby planetary twin
Around 4.5 billion years ago, a dramatic event changed Earth forever.
A massive, planet-sized body called Theia slammed into the young Earth in a violent...
Scientists recreate 100 billion stars in a virtual Milky Way for the first time
Scientists have achieved something that once seemed nearly impossible: they have created the first computer simulation of the Milky Way that represents more than...
Yes, the universe can expand faster than light
An expanding universe complicates this picture just a little bit, because the universe absolutely refuses to be straightforward.
Objects are still emitting light, and that...
Deep Space
What would volcanoes look like on metallic planets
What would a volcano - and its lava flows - look like on a planetary body made primarily of metal?
A pilot study from North...
“Lucy’s Baby” asteroid is a toddler of the solar system
A group of scientists led by Cornell University has unveiled a remarkable discovery about an asteroid known as "Lucy's baby," found orbiting another asteroid...
Scientists discover Jupiter-sized exoplanet through microlensing
The path of a light beam is bent by the presence of mass, and a massive body can therefore act like a lens (a...
NASA’s Perseverance rover delivers one of its clearest views yet of Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured one of its sharpest and most breathtaking panoramas of Mars so far, thanks to an unusually clear day on...
Earth sized planet discovered with extreme 5.4 hour year
Astronomers have found a fascinating new world that challenges our understanding of planetary systems.
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of...