Space & Future
Asteroid dirt is fluffier than we thought
The strength of gravity is different on every body in the solar system.
Whether it's the crushing weight of Jupiter or the miniscule pull of...
New laser-treated metal could help keep satellites cool in space
Keeping satellites cool in space is a major challenge. Unlike on Earth, where heat can escape into the surrounding air, space is a vacuum.
This...
Why lunar regolith could be the key to living on the Moon
The moon may look peaceful from Earth, but its surface is one of the harshest environments imaginable.
It is covered by a layer of fine...
Astronomers solve mystery of strange cosmic signals with rare two-star system
Astronomers have solved one of the biggest mysteries in radio astronomy by identifying the source of a strange type of cosmic signal that has...
How heavy can a neutron star get
The physics of neutron stars are almost too fantastic to believe. Something the weight of two Suns compacted to a sphere the size of...
Scientists get their best-ever look at distant planet’s surface
Astronomers have found thousands of worlds in faraway star systems, but one of the questions that’s been hardest to answer is the one that...
Is extracting oxygen from lunar soil the future of space exploration
A new race to the moon is emerging between the United States and China.
Unlike fifty years ago, the goal is no longer just about...
Everything we thought we knew about dark energy could be wrong
For nearly 30 years, scientists have believed that a mysterious force called dark energy is causing the universe to expand faster and faster.
But a...
The Sun is changing and we don’t know why
Put your ear to the ground in the right place and you can hear a train coming from miles away.
Long before it appears on...
How Giant Galaxies Burned Bright and Died Young In the Early Universe
One of the biggest mysteries in astronomy is why some of the largest galaxies in the early universe stopped making stars surprisingly early in...
Red Dwarf Stars Caught Devouring Earth-Like Planets
Astronomers have discovered some of the clearest evidence yet that stars can consume their own planets.
In a new study published in the journal Monthly...
Something just passed between us and a distant star
On the night of 18 December 2019, a star in our satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, briefly got brighter.
Not dramatically nor explosively, just...
Deep Space
Scientists detect a new ring system in our Solar System
Scientists have discovered a new ring system around a dwarf planet on the edge of the Solar System.
Oxygen may be false positives in search for life signs on other planets
Oxygen in the atmosphere may not be an entirely reliable 'biosignature,' but there are ways to distinguish false positives from signs of life, scientists...
Is our universe expanding as we thought? New study reveals the answer
For years, astronomers have debated how fast our universe is expanding—a key question that helps us understand the history and future of the cosmos.
This...
Astronomers discover the closest massive black hole in Omega Centauri
Astronomers have found the nearest massive black hole, which could be the missing link in understanding how massive black holes form.
This discovery was made...
Yes, the odds of an asteroid striking Earth have doubled. No, you don’t need...
At the end of 2024, astronomers detected an asteroid in the night sky.
It was given the designation Y, since it was discovered in the...