Space & Future
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...
Two hot stars passed near our solar system and left a lasting mark
Around 4.4 million years ago—long before humans existed—two massive, blazing-hot stars swept past our solar system.
They didn’t come close enough to pose any danger,...
Chang’e-6 uncovers strange “sticky” soil on the moon’s far side
Scientists have finally taken a close look at the first-ever soil samples brought back from the far side of the moon, and the results...
Why galaxies die faster in crowded regions
Astronomers have long known that galaxies grow and change over billions of years, but new results from a major international project show that where...
The universe was warm before it was bright
So first the Big Bang happens. Everything is incredibly hot and dense; there are photons flying everywhere, but they keep colliding with electrons and...
Scientists capture ultra-rare, ultra-sharp images of powerful solar flares
Scientists have achieved something that almost never happens in solar research: they captured high-resolution images of an active region on the sun at the...
Stars surprisingly survive near the Milky Way’s black hole, study finds
Astronomers have long believed that the region around the Milky Way’s central black hole, Sagittarius A*, is one of the most dangerous places in...
Meteorites are ancient time capsules that reveal how our solar system was born
When a meteor flashes across the night sky, it’s more than a beautiful streak of light.
It’s a delivery from deep space—an ancient piece of...
Astronomers discover 400 “sibling” star clusters hidden in the Milky Way
Astronomers have uncovered more than 400 pairs of star clusters in our Milky Way—cosmic siblings that were born together or later became partners as...
Living microbes found in a meteorite crater may offer clues to life on Mars
Scientists have discovered living, methane-producing microbes deep inside a massive meteorite impact crater in Sweden, and the find could change the way researchers think...
Scientists discover a fast-spinning red giant star orbiting a silent black hole
Astronomers have uncovered the unusual history of a distant red giant star by “listening” to tiny vibrations rippling through it.
These vibrations, known as starquakes,...
Scientists capture the sound of sparks on Mars
For the first time, scientists have confirmed that tiny bursts of electricity are happening in the atmosphere of Mars.
These sparks were picked up by...
Deep Space
How to make building blocks for a lunar habitat
By 2028, NASA intends to land the "first woman and first person of color" on the Moon as part of the Artemis III mission.
This...
Mysterious clouds could offer new clues on dark matter
The hunt for gravitational waves, ripples in space and time caused by major cosmic cataclysms, could help solve one of the Universe's other burning...
Scientists detect an exoplanet candidate outside our Milky Way galaxy for the first time
Signs of a planet transiting a star outside of the Milky Way galaxy may have been detected for the first time.
This intriguing result, using...
Scientists develop dustbuster for moon astronauts
Future moon astronauts may one day be able to step into an electric-beam shower to clean sticky dust off of their spacesuits and equipment.
A...
New study unravels the mysterious dunes on Jupiter’s moon, lo
Scientists have known about dune-like structures on Jupiter’s volcanically active moon, Io, for some time.
However, they have been unable to reconcile how a planetary...