Finding a better way to distinguish life from non-life
The search for life on other worlds needs a way to sift through the chemistry of their atmospheres.
If another species observed Earth to search...
The habitability of Earth tells us the likelihood of finding life elsewhere
The hunt for habitable worlds has become a hot topic in astronomy.
For decades, the search has been focussed on planets in the "Goldilocks zone”;...
Scientists detect the heaviest black hole mergers ever recorded
Astronomers have uncovered new evidence that helps solve one of space’s biggest mysteries—the existence of intermediate-mass black holes, or IMBHs.
These black holes are heavier...
Scientists discover superhot Jupiter with supersonic winds using new telescope technology
In the search for planets beyond our solar system, many scientists focus on finding worlds that could support life.
But others are drawn to the...
Mysterious space object blinks in both X-rays and radio waves every 44 minutes
Astronomers have discovered a strange object in our galaxy that flashes every 44 minutes—and it's unlike anything we've seen before.
Named ASKAP J1832-0911, this mysterious...
Europa’s shifting ice hints at a hidden ocean beneath Jupiter’s moon
Jupiter’s icy moon Europa might be hiding a salty, liquid ocean deep beneath its surface—and new experiments suggest that its frozen crust is far...
Jupiter was once twice its size—and helped shape the solar system
New research suggests that Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, was once even bigger—about twice its current size—and had a magnetic field...
Clouds could enhance the search for life on exoplanets
When searching for life in the Universe (aka. astrobiology), scientists use strategies that go by various names.
For example, there's the "follow the water" approach,...
After awesome launch, SpaceX’s Starship spins out of control
SpaceX’s Starship super-rocket got off to a great start today for its ninth flight test, but the second stage ran into a host of...
One star once orbited inside the other in this bizarre binary system
Binary star systems are pairs of stars held together by gravity, orbiting a common center of mass.
More than half of all stars in our...