Space & Future
A star’s death throes involves a lot of kicking
Imagine being nudged again and again by thousands of tiny shoves, each one barely perceptible alone, until they add up to a steady drift...
New nearby ‘super-Earth’ may be more like Earth than we thought
A nearby planet that could one day help answer one of humanity's biggest questions—whether life exists beyond Earth—may be more promising than scientists first...
Tiny ancient galaxy near Andromeda may be a 12.5-billion-year-old cosmic fossil
Astronomers have discovered one of the faintest galaxies ever found near the Andromeda Galaxy.
The tiny galaxy, called Andromeda XXXVI (And XXXVI), may be around...
An alternative to black holes: Gravastars with big bangs inside
One foundational part of astrophysics concerns how stellar mass black holes form.
When a star several times more massive than our Sun runs out of...
Solar storms may reduce rain and snow across North America, study warns
Scientists have discovered new evidence that powerful solar storms may briefly affect Earth's weather.
A new study suggests that after a large solar storm, some...
12 billion years old, this interstellar comet is older than our solar system
One year ago, on July 1, 2025, astronomers discovered a fascinating new object moving through the solar system.
Detected by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert...
Europa’s ice shell secrets unlocked by ground radar study
Jupiter’s moon, Europa, has become high-value real estate for astrobiologists and the search for life beyond Earth.
This is because the small moon, which is...
3-billion-year-old asteroid crater offers rare window into Earth’s violent past
Scientists have confirmed the age of the oldest known asteroid impact crater on Earth, revealing that a huge space rock struck our planet about...
Webb Telescope captures a giant galaxy being born around a growing black hole
Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to witness one of the most remarkable events ever observed in the early universe—a giant galaxy...
Scientists create inchworm-inspired soft robot that could explore Mars one day
Scientists have created a tiny robot inspired by the humble inchworm, and it could one day help inspect damaged sewer pipes, explore dangerous environments,...
Mars Express captures dozens of dust devils in Mars valley
Dust devils are a regular feature on Mars.
Just like those found on Earth, these mini whirlwinds form when parts of Mars are warmed by...
Scientists discover two giant planets fluffier than cotton candy
Astronomers have discovered two of the fluffiest planets ever found.
These giant worlds are so light and airy that they are actually less dense than...
Deep Space
‘Planet confusion’ could slow Earth-like exoplanet exploration
When it comes to directly imaging Earth-like exoplanets orbiting faraway stars, seeing isn’t always believing.
A new Cornell study finds that next-generation telescopes used to...
Bad news, life probably can’t exist on Venus. Good news, it could be in...
For decades, scientists engaged in the search for life in the Universe (aka. astrobiology) have focused on searching for life on other Earth-like planets.
These...
How dark matter helps supermassive black holes merge
Researchers have discovered a fascinating connection between supermassive black holes and dark matter particles that might solve a longstanding puzzle in astronomy.
This new finding...
Scientists find galaxy floating in a tranquil sea of halo gas
Analysis of radio pulses that passed through a galactic halo reveals a surprisingly quiescent halo with very low density and weak magnetic field.
Using one...
This distant planet may host volcanic moon similar to Jupiter’s Io
New research from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory suggests there may be a volcanic moon orbiting a planet 635 light-years from Earth.
This potential exomoon, similar...