Why exploring Mars matters
Mars has fascinated humans for centuries, earning the nickname "the Red Planet" because of its rusty color. In recent decades, scientists have been studying...
Astronomers see flares coming from the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole
There’s plenty of action at the center of the galaxy, where a supermassive black hole (SMBH) known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) literally holds...
This quasar helped end the dark ages of the universe
After the Big Bang came the Dark Ages, a period lasting hundreds of millions of years when the universe was largely without light.
It ended...
Exploring Venus and beyond: the next steps in space travel
Space agencies around the world are setting their sights on new frontiers, with plans to explore Venus and other distant destinations in our solar...
Astronomers reveal the 3D structure of the ring nebula
I’ve lost count of the number of times I have seen the Ring Nebula. It’s a favourite amongst stargazers around the globe and is...
The challenges of designing deep space spacecraft
Exploring the far reaches of space is one of humanity’s most ambitious goals. Deep space missions, which travel far beyond Earth’s orbit to places...
The future of robots on distant moons
In recent years, scientists and engineers have turned their eyes toward the distant moons of our solar system, places like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus.
These...
How CubeSats are changing space exploration
Space exploration used to be something only the biggest and wealthiest organizations could afford. Massive satellites and spacecraft required years of design and billions...
Why we study black holes and neutron stars
Black holes and neutron stars are among the most fascinating and mysterious objects in the universe.
These cosmic phenomena form when massive stars reach the...
Planets can form in even the harshest conditions
According to the most widely held astronomical model (the Nebular Hypothesis), new stars are born from massive clouds of dust and gas (aka. a...