Space & Future
How ancient Mars may have kept its lakes liquid
For years, scientists have puzzled over a contradiction on Mars.
The planet’s surface is covered with features that look unmistakably like ancient lake beds—shorelines, layered...
Scientists track a powerful solar region for a record 94 days
In 2024, the Sun put on one of its most dramatic shows in decades.
A single highly active region on its surface unleashed the strongest...
Young galaxies grow up fast, study finds
Astronomers have captured the most detailed look yet at faraway galaxies at the peak of their youth, an active time when the adolescent galaxies...
Astronomers see a supernova from 10 billion years ago using nature’s own telescope
Astronomers have discovered something truly remarkable: the first-ever gravitationally lensed superluminous supernova that can be seen as multiple, clearly separated images.
The distant explosion, named...
Astronomers find an ultra-hot galaxy cluster from the universe’s infancy
Astronomers have discovered something that challenges long-standing ideas about how the universe evolved: a galaxy cluster filled with extremely hot gas that formed far...
Stars and planets are linked together, and dust is the key to understanding how
Stars and planets are inextricably linked. They form together and stars shape the fate of planets. Stars create the dusty protoplanetary disks that give...
The universe may be lopsided
The shape of the universe is not something we often think about.
But my colleagues and I have published a new study suggests it could...
Earth-like planets need a cosmic-ray bath
It's quite a challenge to make an Earth-like world.
You need enough mass to hold an atmosphere and generate a good magnetic field, but not...
Why astronomy needs a giant in the Canary Islands
Size matters when it comes to telescopes. The bigger they are, the farther they can see. Prioritizing constructing large ones is therefore high on...
The interstellar comet that’s spilling its secrets
When 3I/ATLAS swept past the Sun in late October 2025, it became only the third confirmed visitor from interstellar space ever detected.
Unlike the mysterious...
Hot Jupiters with a memory of their past
How did hot Jupiters end up orbiting so close to their stars, thus earning their moniker?
This is what a recent study published in The...
Astronomers discover giant spinning cosmic structure like a “teacup ride” in space
Astronomers have discovered one of the largest rotating structures ever seen in the universe, a vast cosmic formation that spins in a way reminiscent...
Deep Space
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,...
Mysterious star may solve puzzle of universe’s strongest magnets
Magnetars are some of the universe's most powerful magnets.
These super-tight, dead stars have extremely strong magnetic fields and can be found throughout our galaxy.
Yet,...
Scientists bend space-time to create flashes of light from nothing
In a breakthrough that sounds almost like magic, scientists have discovered a way to create flashes of light that seem to come from nowhere...
Scientists unveil smarter lithium batteries for Mars exploration
Exploring Mars is one of humanity’s most ambitious goals, but it comes with huge technical challenges.
Among them is how to keep rovers, instruments, and...
AI cracks the code of black holes: New clues about the heart of our...
Astronomers have taken a big leap forward in understanding black holes—thanks to the help of artificial intelligence.
A team led by Michael Janssen from Radboud...