Space & Future
The rust that could reveal alien life
Iron rusts.
On Earth, this common chemical reaction often signals the presence of something far more interesting than just corroding metal for example, living microorganisms...
Astronomers discover the Pleiades is part of a giant hidden star family
The Pleiades, also known as the “Seven Sisters,” is one of the most recognizable sights in the night sky.
For centuries, people around the world...
Astronomers discover a superheated galaxy building stars at record speed
Astronomers have found a distant galaxy that’s building stars 180 times faster than our own Milky Way—offering a new clue to how galaxies grew...
How cloud-dwelling microbes could help us find life on other worlds
Clouds may seem like a barrier when looking for life on distant planets, but new research shows they could actually be the key.
Scientists at...
The impossible black holes that shouldn’t exist
In 2023, gravitational wave detectors picked up the signature of a collision 7 billion light years away.
Two black holes had merged in an explosion...
Rare meteor strike on Mars triggers dust avalanches and new streaks
A rare meteoroid impact on Mars has given scientists a glimpse into how the planet’s dusty surface is constantly reshaped.
When a space rock struck...
The mystery of the colliding black holes solved
In 2023, astronomers detected one of the most extraordinary cosmic events ever seen — a collision between two enormous black holes, located about seven...
Is the universe slowing down? New evidence challenges what we know about dark energy
For more than 25 years, scientists have believed that the universe is expanding faster and faster, pushed apart by a mysterious force called dark...
Tiny dwarf galaxies help solve a 40-year dark matter debate
For decades, scientists have puzzled over why galaxies spin faster than expected.
The stars in their outer regions move so quickly that, by the laws...
Space snacks with legs: How insects might feed astronauts on Mars
Before humans ever ventured into space, insects were already making the trip — and thriving.
Lightweight, adaptable, and packed with nutrients, insects are now being...
Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus may hide a long-lived ocean that could support life
Scientists have discovered that Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus is warmer than they thought — and that its hidden ocean may have remained liquid for...
Many “mini-Neptunes” once thought to be lava worlds may have solid surfaces
Astronomers have long puzzled over a strange and abundant type of planet found across the galaxy—known as “mini-Neptunes.”
These worlds are smaller than Neptune but...
Deep Space
Gas ‘waterfalls’ reveal infant planets around young star
For the first time, astronomers using ALMA have witnessed 3D motions of gas in a planet-forming disk.
At three locations in the disk around...
Galaxies filled with old stars seen shortly after the big bang
How can young galaxies in the early Universe have ancient stars?
That’s the question a team of astronomers set out to answer using JWST as...
Did supernovae cause mass extinctions on Earth? Scientists say yes
New research suggests that powerful star explosions, called supernovae, may have caused at least two mass extinctions in Earth's history.
Scientists from Keele University believe...
Webb Telescope scans a nearby brown dwarf and finds it has clouds made of...
In its first few months of operation, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is already proving that it was well worth the wait!
To date,...
Black holes may be more chaotic than we ever imagined
Black holes are some of the most fascinating objects in the universe.
They are formed entirely from gravity, simple in appearance but hiding mysteries that...