Space & Future
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...
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...
Deep Space
How extraterrestrial tales of aliens gain traction
One night, upon returning to the cave that his tribe calls home, the monkey-humanoid Moon-Watcher finds a strange crystal object, a kind of monolith...
Six planets found orbiting an extremely young star
The field of exoplanet study continues to grow by leaps and bounds.
As of the penning of this article, 5,572 extrasolar planets have been confirmed...
Galactic collision helped shape our galaxy 11.5 billion years ago
Thanks to some astrophysical sleuthing, researchers have pinpointed an early galactic merger that helped shape the Milky Way.
The merger — a collision, actually —...
Scientists find half the universe’s missing hydrogen hiding in giant gas halos
For decades, astronomers have known something didn’t add up in our universe.
The amount of “normal” matter—stars, gas, and galaxies—seen in the universe today doesn’t...
What is the Moon made of (hint it’s not cheese)
A set of instruments shut off almost 50 years ago are still producing useful results.
It’s the seismometers left by the Apollo missions to monitor...