Space & Future
Many alien planets may be giant soot factories, scientists discover
When astronauts photograph Earth from space, they capture stunning views of blue oceans, white clouds, and green continents.
But according to a new study, our...
Mysterious signals keep coming from space: Scientists find their ‘Rosetta stone’
A pair of stars spiraling around each other. That's the origin of a new source of repeating radio bursts we've detected, called ASKAP J1745.
In...
How small is too small for life? New study reveals which planets can keep...
Scientists searching for life beyond Earth have developed a new way to identify which distant planets might be able to support life.
Their new tool,...
Scientists finally find the Milky Way’s missing black hole wind
For more than 50 years, astronomers have searched for a powerful wind blowing from the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.
Now,...
Jupiter’s giant shockwave reveals how particles reach near-light speed
Scientists studying Jupiter have captured electrons in the act of being accelerated to extremely high speeds, offering new clues about one of the universe's...
Ancient Martian ocean? Vast clay deposits may hold clues to life on Mars
Scientists have discovered that huge clay deposits near the landing site of the upcoming ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover are much larger than previously thought.
The...
Webb Telescope discovers giant sleeping black hole from the early universe
Astronomers have discovered the most distant dormant black hole ever detected, offering a rare glimpse into the early universe and how massive black holes...
How Jupiter May Have Helped Deliver the Building Blocks of Life to Earth
A new NASA-supported study suggests that Jupiter may have played a surprisingly important role in helping Earth acquire some of the key ingredients needed...
Astronomers Discover Missing Red Dwarf Stars in Ancient Star Cluster
Astronomers studying an ancient star cluster have discovered a strange gap where certain stars should exist but do not.
The finding provides new clues about...
Asteroid dirt is fluffier than we thought
The strength of gravity is different on every body in the solar system.
Whether it's the crushing weight of Jupiter or the miniscule pull of...
New laser-treated metal could help keep satellites cool in space
Keeping satellites cool in space is a major challenge. Unlike on Earth, where heat can escape into the surrounding air, space is a vacuum.
This...
Why lunar regolith could be the key to living on the Moon
The moon may look peaceful from Earth, but its surface is one of the harshest environments imaginable.
It is covered by a layer of fine...
Deep Space
Dark matter may leave a subtle “fingerprint” on light
Dark matter—the mysterious substance that makes up about 27% of the universe—has long been thought to be completely invisible. But new research suggests that...
Astronomers create the most detailed infrared map of the Milky Way
Astronomers have created the most detailed infrared map of our Milky Way galaxy ever made, revealing more than 1.5 billion objects.
This incredible achievement was...
Comet 67P has abundant oxygen? No, it’s just an illusion
When the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft discovered abundant molecular oxygen bursting from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) in 2015, it puzzled scientists.
They had never seen...
Jupiter’s moons could be warming each other
Jupiter's moons are hot.
Well, hotter than they should be, for being so far from the sun.
In a process called tidal heating, gravitational tugs from...
Asteroids may be harder to break than we thought
In a new study, researchers found incoming asteroids may be harder to break than scientists previously thought.
The research was conducted by researchers from Johns...