Space & Future
Europa’s ice shell secrets unlocked by ground radar study
Jupiter’s moon, Europa, has become high-value real estate for astrobiologists and the search for life beyond Earth.
This is because the small moon, which is...
3-billion-year-old asteroid crater offers rare window into Earth’s violent past
Scientists have confirmed the age of the oldest known asteroid impact crater on Earth, revealing that a huge space rock struck our planet about...
Webb Telescope captures a giant galaxy being born around a growing black hole
Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to witness one of the most remarkable events ever observed in the early universe—a giant galaxy...
Scientists create inchworm-inspired soft robot that could explore Mars one day
Scientists have created a tiny robot inspired by the humble inchworm, and it could one day help inspect damaged sewer pipes, explore dangerous environments,...
Mars Express captures dozens of dust devils in Mars valley
Dust devils are a regular feature on Mars.
Just like those found on Earth, these mini whirlwinds form when parts of Mars are warmed by...
Scientists discover two giant planets fluffier than cotton candy
Astronomers have discovered two of the fluffiest planets ever found.
These giant worlds are so light and airy that they are actually less dense than...
NASA’s Hubble discovers ancient galaxy that helped clear the universe’s primordial fog
Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have made an unexpected discovery that sheds new light on one of the universe’s greatest transformations.
They detected ultraviolet...
Mysterious ‘dark force’ may actually slow the growth of cosmic structures
Dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in science. It cannot be seen directly because it does not emit, absorb, or reflect light.
Yet...
Astronomers discover giant ‘bow and arrow’ galaxy stretching 1.8 million light-years across
Astronomers have discovered a strange and spectacular galaxy that looks like a giant bow and arrow stretching across space.
The unusual object, named RAD-BAARG (Bow-And-Arrow...
The long-lived Chicxulub hydrothermal system lasted 8 million years
When a massive, ten-kilometer asteroid slammed into Earth about 66 million years ago, it created a massive crater.
The impact triggered a megatsunami and a...
Did gravitational tides cause Earth’s extinctions?
Life on Earth took a long evolutionary journey that eventually created us, the purportedly intelligent species that dominates the planet.
But there was no grand...
Scientists discover magnetic fields guiding the birth of stars
How do stars form?
Scientists know that stars are born when huge clouds of cold gas in space collapse under their own gravity.
But one mystery...
Deep Space
Astronomers spot a giant radio galaxy 32 times the size of the Milky Way
Astronomers have discovered a giant radio galaxy with plasma jets stretching an incredible 3.3 million light-years—32 times the size of the Milky Way.
This massive...
The ultimate fate of a star shredded by a black hole
In 2019, astronomers observed the nearest example to date of a star that was shredded, or “spaghettified,” after approaching too close to a massive...
NASA’s NuSTAR mission celebrates 10 years in space
Launched from a rocket strapped to the belly of an aircraft on June 13, 2012, NASA's NuSTAR mission is celebrating 10 years in space.
The...
There’s more water inside planets than we thought
When you walk across your lawn or down the street, you move on the surface of a surprisingly layered world. Some of those layers...
We can use black holes particle accelerators
With the federal government cutting funds for research, scientific organizations are facing a budget crunch.
This includes astrophysics and cosmology, where researchers test theories fundamental...