Astronomers eagerly await rare stellar explosion visible to the naked eye
A spectacular celestial event is expected to light up the night sky soon—a stellar explosion that happens only once every 80 years.
We spoke with...
By watching the sun, astronomers are learning more about exoplanets
Watching the Olympics recently and the amazing effort of the hammer throwers was a wonderful demonstration of the radial velocity method that astronomers use...
Hidden oceans: How planets hold more water than we thought
A recent study reveals that planets might contain much more water than we previously believed, but most of it is hidden deep inside their...
Scientists discover spotted surface on the North Star
Researchers have uncovered fascinating new details about the North Star, also known as Polaris.
This famous star, which has long been used for navigation, turns...
Galactic collision from 12.8 billion years ago could create a “monster” galaxy
Astronomers have made an exciting discovery: they’ve spotted two galaxies in the process of merging, a cosmic event that happened 12.8 billion years ago.
This...
Scientists discover dark matter’s elusive nature in groundbreaking experiment
Scientists are getting closer to understanding dark matter, one of the biggest mysteries of the universe, but it’s proving to be more elusive than...
Scientists develop new algorithms to boost safety of autonomous spacecraft
Space may seem like a vast emptiness, but in reality, it's filled with countless objects that can pose dangers to spacecraft.
Imagine spending years designing...
Life needs black holes to survive
Life is rare, and it requires exactly the right environmental mix to establish itself. And there’s one surprising contributor to that perfect mix: gigantic...
Did dark matter help create giant black holes in the early universe?
Supermassive black holes, like the one at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, take an incredibly long time to form.
Typically, a black hole...
Scientists begin first search for alien technology in distant galaxies using low-frequency signals
For the first time, scientists are searching for signs of alien technology in galaxies far beyond our own, using low-frequency radio waves.
This groundbreaking study,...