Space & Future
Astronomers discover the violent origin of mysterious blue cosmic explosions
For years, astronomers have been puzzled by rare and dramatic flashes of blue and ultraviolet light that suddenly appear in distant galaxies and then...
Astronomers find the first compelling evidence of monster stars in the early universe
One of the greatest mysteries the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was developed to investigate was the birth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs).
For more...
A year that mattered: Caltech’s scientific journey in 2025
Caltech is a place unlike any other, an Institute that is truly "small but mighty."
Its small size and the expertise of its community enable...
The Milky Way had a wild past, and Webb is finally revealing it
How did the Milky Way become the calm, spiral galaxy we see today?
New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest that our...
Gaia space telescope spots possible planets forming around baby stars
How do planets like Earth and Jupiter come into existence?
Astronomers are beginning to answer that question thanks to new observations from the European Space...
NASA’s Perseverance Rover is ready for many more miles—and new discoveries on Mars
After nearly five years on Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover is proving it was built to last.
Since landing in February 2021, the six-wheeled robot has...
Astronomers witness a violent space collision around a nearby star
Astronomers have captured something extraordinary: the aftermath of a violent collision between large space rocks in another planetary system.
Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, scientists...
This shape-shifting wheel could help robots explore the moon’s hidden caves
Exploring the Moon’s surface is challenging enough, but reaching what lies beneath it is even harder.
Deep pits and long lava tubes on the Moon...
Why Saturn’s moon Titan might be less oceanic—and more complex—than thought
For years, scientists believed that Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, hid a vast ocean of liquid water beneath its thick, icy shell.
This idea made Titan...
Why most exoplanets are magma worlds
In astronomy, there is a concept called “degeneracy”.
It has nothing to do with delinquent people, but instead is used to describe data that could...
The first alien civilization we encounter will be extremely loud
For decades, science fiction writers have tried their best to prepare us for eventual contact with aliens. Their efforts are dominated by several recurrent...
Scientists find a crack in a 50-year-old law of the universe
Astronomers may have uncovered evidence that challenges one of the longest-standing ideas about quasars, the brilliant beacons powered by supermassive black holes.
A new international...
Deep Space
Earth’s inner core is growing more on one side than the other – here’s...
More than 5,000 kilometers beneath us, Earth’s solid metal inner core wasn’t discovered until 1936.
Almost a century later, we’re still struggling to answer basic...
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...
Astronomers discover the largest structure in the universe
Scientists have discovered the largest known structure in the universe, a massive superstructure named Quipu. This enormous cosmic formation weighs an astonishing 200 quadrillion...
Scientists detect unthinkably huge black holes merging in deep space
In an incredible leap forward for astronomy, scientists have detected the most massive black hole merger ever observed through gravitational waves.
The event, named GW231123,...
The most compelling places to search for life will look like ‘anomalies’, shows study
In the past two and a half years, two next-generation telescopes have been sent to space: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the...