Space & Future
Hidden oceans? Common alien planets may be concealing vast oceans, study finds
Some of the most common planets in our galaxy may be hiding far more water than scientists can currently detect—even with the powerful James...
Scientists detect a sugar in deep space for the first time, offering new clues...
For the first time, scientists have discovered a sugar molecule floating in interstellar space, a breakthrough that could help explain how some of the...
Astronomers discover four dead stars in our cosmic neighborhood
Astronomers have uncovered four previously hidden white dwarfs surprisingly close to Earth, revealing that even our own corner of the galaxy still holds major...
Chemistry reveals the origins of an interstellar comet
Somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy is an old star that has lost one of its comets.
By some quirk of orbital mechanics, that frozen...
Scientists recreate a black hole energy trick in the lab without anything spinning
More than 50 years ago, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Sir Roger Penrose proposed an extraordinary idea.
He suggested that it might be possible to extract energy...
Scientists capture the tiny ‘drift’ that signals the birth of a star
How does a new star begin?
It is a question astronomers have been trying to answer for decades.
Now, scientists have observed an important process that...
Most of moon’s water likely remains chemically bound in its deep interior
After decades of analyzing reams of lunar rocks back here on Earth, the canonical view of the Moon was that it was anhydrous; that...
Scientists discover how an exoplanet with endless day and night could still support life
An unusual planet located about 48.5 light-years from Earth may seem far too extreme for life.
One side is permanently exposed to intense heat, while...
A rapidly growing black hole in a nearby galaxy could provide a window into...
An international team led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) recently made a first-ever discovery when observing SDSS J110546.07+145202.4,...
Astronomers Find Clouds Can Heat Alien Planets by More Than 1,000°C
Scientists have discovered that clouds on distant planets may be doing much more than blocking our view.
New research suggests these clouds can trap heat...
Astronomers uncover a hidden history inside the Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula is one of the brightest and most famous objects in the night sky.
It can even be seen without a telescope, and...
Scientists discover rare super-Jupiter with an incredible 180-day orbit
Astronomers have discovered a rare giant planet outside our solar system that could help scientists better understand how large planets form and evolve.
The newly...
Deep Space
Scientists capture six galaxies undergoing sudden, dramatic transitions
Galaxies come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and brightnesses, ranging from humdrum ordinary galaxies to luminous active galaxies.
While an ordinary galaxy is...
Mars rocks reveal clues to ancient volcanoes and signs of life
A new study has uncovered fascinating details about Mars’s volcanic past—and its potential to support life long ago.
The research, published in Science Advances, focuses...
Webb Telescope unveils rare galaxy collision from 7 billion years ago
Astronomers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a rare and intriguing cosmic formation that looks like a question mark in space.
This shape...
Scientists discover one of the oldest stars ever, with almost no iron
Astronomers have discovered one of the oldest and most primitive stars ever found, offering a rare glimpse into the early universe.
The star, named PicII-503,...
Why planting a flag on the moon was so hard?
When Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted the United States flag on the moon 50 years ago on July 20, 1969,...