Space & Future
Most normal matter in the universe isn’t found in planets, stars or galaxies –where...
If you look across space with a telescope, you’ll see countless galaxies, most of which host large central black holes, billions of stars and...
Scientists map the largest structures in the universe
clusters of galaxies.
These gigantic structures, which contain hundreds or even thousands of galaxies bound together by gravity, offer important clues about how the universe...
Astronomers discover a surprisingly mature spiral galaxy from the early universe
Astronomers have discovered a beautiful, well-formed spiral galaxy from a time when the universe was still very young—only 1.5 billion years after the Big...
Astronomers discover giant spinning thread of galaxies 140 million light-years away
Astronomers have discovered one of the largest rotating structures ever seen in the universe: a razor-thin line of galaxies inside a massive, spinning cosmic...
Scientists capture the first high-detail “real-time” images of stars exploding
Astronomers have captured the most detailed close-up images ever taken of stars exploding, known as novae.
These pictures were taken within days of the eruptions...
Did asteroids invent gum billions of years ago?
What is “gum”? Most people have probably never considered this question, and might answer something like a chewy material you can put in your...
Do super-Jupiters look like Jupiter? New Webb discovery says the answer is more surprising...
At first glance, giant planets called super-Jupiters might seem like close cousins of Jupiter. Some are even ten times more massive.
For years, astronomers assumed...
New tech could shield space electronics from deadly cosmic radiation
Modern life depends heavily on electronics that can survive in extreme environments.
Satellites that provide TV broadcasts, GPS signals, phone services and internet must operate...
Astronomers find hidden star that solves a major cosmic dust mystery
Only 70 light-years from Earth, a star called Kappa Tucanae A hosts one of astronomy’s strangest mysteries.
Around it swirls dust so scorching—more than 1,000...
Asteroid Bennu holds clues to how life began: Sugars, organics, and stardust
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission brought back pristine pieces of the asteroid Bennu in 2023—and these tiny grains are turning out to be a treasure chest...
What time is it on Mars? Scientists finally have a precise answer
On Earth, telling time is easy. Our clocks are synchronized using atomic clocks, GPS satellites, and fast communication networks.
But according to Einstein’s theory of...
Scientists detect static discharge on airplanes using giant European telescope
Scientists have accidentally uncovered a surprising behavior in commercial airplanes: they emit radio waves when they release built-up static electricity.
This discovery, made by an...
Deep Space
Scientists discover a new planet orbiting closest star to our Sun
Astronomers have discovered a new planet orbiting Barnard's star, the closest single star to our sun.
Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO’s...
Astronomers take a second look at twin star systems
Apples-to-apples comparisons in the distant universe are hard to come by.
Whether the subject is dwarf galaxies, supermassive black holes, or “hot Jupiters,” astronomers can...
Mars’s northern ice cap is surprisingly young
If you’ve ever looked at Mars through a telescope, you probably noticed its two polar ice caps.
The northern one is made largely of water...
Venus is the perfect place to count meteors
Watching meteoroids enter the Earth’s atmosphere and streak across the sky as the visual spectacle known as meteors, it is one of the most...
Astronomers make the most robust catalog to trace rare, cosmic explosions
The galactic homes of 84 short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs) — produced by the collision of two neutron stars — have now been pinpointed in...