Space & Future
Astrophysicists use ‘space archaeology’ to trace the history of a spiral galaxy
Billions of years ago, a young spiral galaxy began to grow in a crowded part of the universe.
It pulled in gas and small companion...
Scientists solve a cosmic mystery hidden inside the Perseus galaxy cluster
An international team of scientists has uncovered new clues about how stars lived and died billions of years ago by studying one of the...
Scientists may have detected signs of dark matter in black hole collisions
Dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in modern science.
Astronomers believe it makes up most of the matter in the universe, yet nobody...
Ancient Martian mega-flood carved a valley as long as Italy
A massive valley on Mars may hold some of the strongest evidence yet that enormous floods once rushed across the red planet billions of...
Astronomers finally capture how turbulent space warps light across the galaxy
Astronomers have directly observed how turbulent gas and charged particles floating between stars can bend and distort light traveling across the galaxy.
The discovery gives...
Astronomers discover violent past hidden inside a “calm” galaxy cluster
A giant galaxy cluster once thought to be one of the calmest places in the universe is now revealing signs of a violent past.
Astronomers...
Stardust trapped in Antarctic ice reveals tens of thousands of years of solar system’s...
When you think of outer space, you're likely picturing stars, planets and moons. But much of space is filled with clouds of gas, plasma...
How one tiny star change can transform an entire galaxy
A galaxy may look calm and stable from far away, but new research suggests it can actually behave in surprisingly chaotic ways.
Scientists at Leiden...
What it would have been like to experience the dinosaur‑killing asteroid Armageddon
A great Tyrannosaurus rex strides through the conifer trees of her territory, sniffing the air.
She picks up the scent from the carcass of a...
Hidden molecular patterns may reveal alien life on Mars and Europa
For decades, scientists searching for life beyond Earth have focused on one big question: what kinds of molecules should they look for on other...
Astronomers discover 27 possible “Tatooine” worlds orbiting two suns
For years, planets orbiting two stars have seemed more like science fiction than reality.
The most famous example is probably Tatooine, the desert world from...
Dante’s Inferno may have predicted asteroid impacts 500 years early
For more than 700 years, Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy has been celebrated as one of the greatest works of literature ever written.
Most readers...
Deep Space
Oops. Astronauts lost a tool bag during a spacewalk!
I know for a fact it’s one of the most annoying things that can happen.
I’ve done it lots; whether that be out at night...
Scientists unravel Jupiter’s magnetic mysteries to enhance Earth’s space weather forecasts
Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have made groundbreaking discoveries about Jupiter, which could not only shed light on the largest planet in...
Floating seismometers could help peer into the core of Venus
Seismology has been ubiquitous on Earth for decades, and missions such as InSight have recently provided the same data for the inside of Mars.
Understanding...
Venus’s surprisingly thin crust might hold clues to its fiery past
New research has revealed unexpected details about the surface of Venus, Earth's scorching hot twin.
Scientists had long assumed that Venus's crust would be thick...
Dead planets can ‘broadcast’ for as long as a billion years
Planetary cores can survive for as long as a billion years after their stars have burnt up their nuclear fuel.
Astronomers are planning to hunt...