Space & Future
Scientists reveal hidden radio signals from the edges of extreme stars
Pulsars are some of the strangest objects in the universe.
They are the dense, rapidly spinning remains of dead stars, and they send out beams...
New study suggests atoms can “hear” ripples in spacetime
Gravitational waves are tiny ripples in space and time, created by some of the most violent events in the universe, such as when two...
Why the Small Magellanic Cloud is behaving so strangely
Astronomers have discovered that one of our closest neighboring galaxies is going through a dramatic transformation—and they can watch it happening in real time.
The...
Giant craters may reveal if Psyche is a lost planetary core
When we think of asteroids, we almost immediately think of giant rocks bouncing around like the iconic chase scene in Empire Strikes Back, and...
Earth was already moving 3.5 billion years ago, study finds
The story of our planet is written in the slow movement of its surface.
Over billions of years, shifting tectonic plates have shaped continents, opened...
How will Martian gravity affect skeletal muscle
NASA and the China National Space Agency (CNSA) plan to send astronauts to Mars as early as the next decade.
Naturally, this ambitious goal requires...
This pair of brown dwarfs can’t get enough of each other
Binary stars are known to transfer mass to one another. In extreme cases, mass transfer can even cause a supernova explosion. That happens when...
When two ‘failed stars’ team up to light the sky
Brown dwarfs are often called “failed stars” because they are too small to keep nuclear fusion going in their cores, the process that makes...
Scientists discover “rotten egg” planet with a massive ocean of lava
Astronomers have discovered a strange new kind of planet beyond our solar system—one that may be covered by a vast, long-lasting ocean of molten...
A giant space rock’s scars may reveal how planets were born
Asteroid 16 Psyche has puzzled scientists for more than 200 years.
Now, new research suggests that its large craters could hold the key to understanding...
A “cotton candy” planet wrapped in haze leaves scientists puzzled
Astronomers have taken a closer look at one of the strangest planets ever discovered, and it is raising more questions than answers.
The planet, called...
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,...
Deep Space
How molten sulfur may have built Mars from the inside out
Scientists have long believed that rocky planets like Earth and Mars formed their cores through a process that required intense heat.
In that traditional view,...
Astronomers find the longest black hole jets ever seen
Black holes often appear in science fiction movies, largely because elements of their existence are still a mystery.
They have fascinating impacts on the surrounding...
Saturn’s moon Enceladus: A potential cradle for life?
There's some exciting news from the world of space exploration.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which spent over a decade exploring Saturn and its moons, has sent...
The first supernovae flooded the early universe with water
Water is the essence of life. Every living thing on Earth contains water within it. The Earth is rich with life because it is...
How some massive stars become isolated in the universe
A pair of University of Michigan studies reveals how some massive stars--stars eight or more times the mass of our sun--become isolated in the...