Galaxy encounter violently disturbed Milky Way, study finds
The spiral-shaped disc of stars and planets is being pulled, twisted and deformed with extreme violence by the gravitational force of a smaller galaxy...
Scientists detect birth of magnetar from colossal collision for the first time
Long ago and far across the universe, an enormous burst of gamma rays unleashed more energy in a half-second than the sun will produce...
Scientists detect newborn jets in distant galaxies
Astronomers using data from the ongoing VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) have found a number of distant galaxies with supermassive black holes at their cores...
Scientists discover ancient megaflood on Mars’ equator
In a new study, scientists find that floods of unimaginable magnitude once washed through Gale Crater on Mars’ equator around 4 billion years ago.
This...
Scientists solve 16-year-old cosmic mystery
In 2004, scientists with NASA's space-based Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spotted an object unlike any they'd seen before in our Milky Way galaxy: a...
Ancient zircon minerals from Mars reveal the elusive internal structure of the red planet
The uranium-bearing mineral zircon is an abundant constituent of Earth's continental crust.
It provides information about the age and origin of the continents and large...
Magnetars could be behind some fast radio bursts, shows study
Magnetars—a type of neutron star believed to have an extremely powerful magnetic field—could be the source of some fast radio bursts, new research suggests.
Though...
Astronomers discover unexplained brightness from colossal explosion
Astronomers have discovered the brightest infrared light from a short gamma-ray burst ever seen, with a bizarre glow that is more luminous than previously...
Scientists find how water escaped Mars
Mars once had oceans but is now bone-dry, leaving many to wonder how the water was lost.
University of Arizona researchers have discovered a surprisingly...
Mining rocks in orbit could help deep space exploration
The first mining experiments conducted in space could pave the way for new technologies to help humans explore and establish settlements on distant worlds,...