Space & Future
This mysterious particle may be proof that black holes can explode
In 2023, physicists detected something that should not have existed: a single subatomic particle called a neutrino carrying an almost unimaginable amount of energy.
This...
Is there really a black hole at the Milky Way’s center—or something even stranger?
For decades, astronomers have believed that a supermassive black hole sits at the heart of our galaxy.
This object, known as Sagittarius A*, is thought...
Is there a link between primordial black holes, neutrinos, and dark matter
Humanity has worked itself into a position where we can detect a single high-energy particle from space and wonder where in Nature it came...
After 50 years, Jupiter’s true size is finally revealed
For more than half a century, scientists believed they had a solid grasp of Jupiter’s size and shape.
As the largest planet in the solar...
Webb Telescope spots rare five-galaxy merger just 800 million years after the big bang
Astronomers have spotted an unexpected and dramatic event in the early universe: a tightly packed collision involving at least five galaxies just 800 million...
Why planets with two suns almost never survive
Planets with two suns, like the famous desert world Tatooine from Star Wars, capture our imagination.
Yet in real life, these so-called circumbinary planets—planets that...
The universe’s first matter really was a soup—and scientists can now see it slosh
In the very first moments after the Big Bang, the universe looked nothing like it does today.
Instead of stars, atoms, or even protons, everything...
NASA rover finds 3.5-billion-year-old Martian shoreline in Jezero crater
Scientists exploring Mars have uncovered strong new evidence that the Red Planet once had wave-washed beaches and long-lasting water activity, making it an even...
For the first time, scientists detect molecule critical to life in interstellar space
The chemical is known as thiepine, or 2,5-cyclohexadiene-1-thione (C₆H₆S), a ring-shaped sulfur-bearing hydrocarbon produced in biochemical reactions.
When examining the molecular cloud G+0.693–0.027, a star-forming...
A new cosmic map reveals how dark matter built the universe we live in
Scientists have created the most detailed map yet of dark matter—the mysterious substance that makes up most of the universe and quietly shapes everything...
A hidden dark matter sheet may be steering our cosmic neighborhood
Astronomers may have solved a long-standing mystery about how galaxies near the Milky Way move through space.
New computer simulations suggest that our galaxy is...
Perseverance Rover discovers an ancient Martian beach, complete with waves
When the rover now named Perseverance landed in Jezero crater in early 2021, scientists already knew they had picked an interesting place to scope...
Deep Space
Saturn’s moon Enceladus could have ocean currents below subsurface, shows study
Buried beneath 20 kilometers of ice, the subsurface ocean of Enceladus—one of Saturn's moons—appears to be churning with currents akin to those on Earth.
The...
Graphene could be a game changing material in space
Graphene has long been put forward as a wonder material.
Undeniably, it has astounding properties – stronger than steel, a better electrical conductor than copper,...
Why are rubble pile asteroids shaped like diamonds
Scientists are fortunate enough to have detailed, close-up views of the near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu.
Both asteroids have a diamond shape, for some reason.
Why?...
Dying star ashes reveal the carbon’s origin in our Milky Way galaxy
As dying stars take their final few breaths of life, they gently sprinkle their ashes into the cosmos through the magnificent planetary nebulae.
These ashes,...
Astronomers discover the violent origin of mysterious blue cosmic explosions
For years, astronomers have been puzzled by rare and dramatic flashes of blue and ultraviolet light that suddenly appear in distant galaxies and then...