Space & Future
Scientists capture the tiny ‘drift’ that signals the birth of a star
How does a new star begin?
It is a question astronomers have been trying to answer for decades.
Now, scientists have observed an important process that...
Most of moon’s water likely remains chemically bound in its deep interior
After decades of analyzing reams of lunar rocks back here on Earth, the canonical view of the Moon was that it was anhydrous; that...
Scientists discover how an exoplanet with endless day and night could still support life
An unusual planet located about 48.5 light-years from Earth may seem far too extreme for life.
One side is permanently exposed to intense heat, while...
A rapidly growing black hole in a nearby galaxy could provide a window into...
An international team led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) recently made a first-ever discovery when observing SDSS J110546.07+145202.4,...
Astronomers Find Clouds Can Heat Alien Planets by More Than 1,000°C
Scientists have discovered that clouds on distant planets may be doing much more than blocking our view.
New research suggests these clouds can trap heat...
Astronomers uncover a hidden history inside the Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula is one of the brightest and most famous objects in the night sky.
It can even be seen without a telescope, and...
Scientists discover rare super-Jupiter with an incredible 180-day orbit
Astronomers have discovered a rare giant planet outside our solar system that could help scientists better understand how large planets form and evolve.
The newly...
Ancient supernova hides baby stars rich in life’s building blocks, study finds
Astronomers have made a surprising discovery inside the remains of a giant star that exploded about 1,600 years ago.
They found newborn stars surrounded by...
Mystery deepens as giant exoplanet refuses to reveal where it was born
Astronomers have taken a closer look at a giant planet called Beta Pictoris b, hoping to solve one of the biggest mysteries in planetary...
Scientists heard the fireball no camera could see
What do you do when a fireball lights up the sky and every camera meant to capture it comes up empty?
Last spring, a bright...
Ancient interstellar comet gives us a rare look at the universe’s youth
An unusual visitor from deep space is helping scientists learn more about what the universe was like billions of years before our solar system...
How two stars work together to create brilliant supernova explosions
When a massive star reaches the end of its life, it explodes in a powerful event called a supernova.
These explosions are among the most...
Deep Space
Scientists find the third-nearest star with a planet—and it’s rocky like Earth
In the past two decades, scientists have discovered more and more planets orbiting distant stars—but in some sense, they’re still just dots on a...
8 million of virtual universes reveal how galaxies form
Scientists generated millions of different universes on a supercomputer, each of which obeyed different physical theories for how galaxies should form.
Observing real galaxies in...
Why are some stars always visible while others come and go with the seasons
As a space scientist, every time I go outside with my family, I tell my children to look up at the sky.
The front door...
The first light in the universe helps build a dark matter map
In the 1960s, astronomers began noticing a pervasive microwave background visible in all directions.
Earth and Venus are not the only volcanic planets anymore, shows study
Imagine an Earth-sized planet that’s not at all Earth-like.
Half this world is locked in permanent daytime, the other half in permanent night, and it’s...