How a rare Venus transit helps scientists study distant planets
In the future, astronomers will study the atmospheres of planets as small as Earth and Venus orbiting other stars.
While Venus and Earth are often...
Scientists use Hubble to get closest look yet at a quasar’s heart
Astronomers have used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to take the closest-ever look at the heart of a quasar—a dazzling galactic center powered by a...
Advanced civilizations could be indistinguishable from nature
Sometimes in science you have to step back and take another look at underlying assumptions. Sometimes its necessary when progress stalls.
One of the foundational...
NASA pushes human moon landing back to 2027
The Artemis moon landings are delayed again due to technical difficulties. This time, the problem is with the Orion spacecraft heat shield.
NASA administrator Bill...
Did ancient Mars flow with liquid carbon dioxide instead of water?
Mars is known for its dry riverbeds and lake basins, which suggest that liquid once flowed on its surface.
For years, scientists have believed that...
Some black holes at the centers of galaxies have a buddy, but detecting these...
Every galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its center, much like every egg has a yolk. But sometimes, hens lay eggs with two...
How interstellar objects and rogue planets can be trapped in the Solar System
When Oumuamua traversed our Solar System in 2017 it was the first confirmed Interstellar Object (ISO) to do so.
Then in 2019, Comet 2l/Borisov did...
Could we use an asteroid to shield astronauts on their way to Mars
Radiation is a primary concern for long-duration human spaceflight, such as the planned trips to Mars, which are the stated goal of organizations such...
Could tiny black holes be hiding in planets or even everyday objects?
When you think of black holes, you probably imagine massive stars collapsing under their own gravity.
But scientists have long theorized the existence of primordial...
White dwarfs could have habitable planets
In a few billion years, our Sun will die.
It will first enter a red giant stage, swelling in size to perhaps the orbit of...