Space & Future
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...
Mysterious ultraviolet light found in baby star nurseries
Astronomers have discovered something unexpected in the birthplaces of young stars: ultraviolet (UV) radiation where it should not exist.
Using the powerful James Webb Space...
After nearly 100 years, dark matter may finally have been seen
Nearly 100 years ago, astronomer Fritz Zwicky made a strange discovery while studying the movement of galaxies.
He noticed that galaxies were moving far faster...
Scientists find possible boiling oceans hidden beneath icy moons
Out in the cold, distant reaches of our solar system, many moons are wrapped in thick layers of ice.
At first glance, these worlds look...
Cosmic dust could help create life in space
Scientists have discovered that tiny particles of cosmic dust may play a much more important role in creating the building blocks of life than...
Why Earth has moving plates and Venus doesn’t
Scientists have taken an important step toward solving one of the biggest mysteries in planetary science: why Earth is covered in moving tectonic plates,...
Maybe Mars isn’t hiding liquid water under its south pole after all
For years, scientists have been intrigued by a mysterious signal coming from the icy south pole of Mars.
In 2018, a radar instrument called MARSIS,...
Deep Space
Scientists unveil catalog of strange new worlds beyond our solar system
An international team of scientists has discovered 126 new planets outside our solar system.
These exotic worlds have been added to a special NASA catalog...
New adaptive optics technology could sharpen gravitational-wave discoveries
Gravitational-wave astronomy, one of the newest and most exciting fields in science, may soon take a major step forward thanks to a breakthrough in...
Scientists reveal the mystery of merging black holes in galaxies like ours
Black holes, those enigmatic cosmic objects with gravitational forces so powerful that not even light can escape their pull, are one of the most...
Scientists confirm a “super-earth” in the habitable zone of a nearby star
An international team of scientists has confirmed the discovery of a super-Earth—a planet larger than Earth but smaller than gas giants—orbiting within the habitable...
Astronomers witness black holes shaping galaxies 12.9 billion years ago
Astronomers have taken a rare look into the distant past of the universe and uncovered evidence that galaxies and their central black holes were...