Space & Future
Astronomers spot an extremely rare galaxy mega-merger
Scale in the universe is hard to understand from a purely human perspective.
Many times the math just doesn’t sit well with our brains that...
Mysterious black hole has been blasting powerful radio waves for over eight years
Astronomers have discovered a remarkable black hole that has been sending out powerful radio waves for more than eight years, something never seen before.
The...
An extended barrage of asteroid impacts made Earth too hot to form continents
The formation of continents was an important step in Earth's history.
Continents and plate tectonics are connected to the planet's habitability, and the same is...
How A Giant Planet Escaped Its Star’s Death and Lived to Tell the Story
A giant planet that orbits a dead star has surprised scientists once again.
New observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest the planet...
Mars dust storms could create dangerous electric sparks, new study finds
Mars is famous for its huge dust storms, but scientists now believe these storms may do more than block sunlight and reduce visibility.
A new...
Scientists ‘listened’ to a fireball to trace its path across Alaska
When a bright fireball raced across the sky over Alaska last spring, scientists expected cameras and satellites to reveal exactly where it came from...
Tiny red galaxies may be the hidden source of mysterious cosmic neutrinos
A newly discovered group of tiny red galaxies may help solve one of astronomy's biggest mysteries: where the universe's highest-energy neutrinos come from.
Using the...
A star’s death throes involves a lot of kicking
Imagine being nudged again and again by thousands of tiny shoves, each one barely perceptible alone, until they add up to a steady drift...
New nearby ‘super-Earth’ may be more like Earth than we thought
A nearby planet that could one day help answer one of humanity's biggest questions—whether life exists beyond Earth—may be more promising than scientists first...
Tiny ancient galaxy near Andromeda may be a 12.5-billion-year-old cosmic fossil
Astronomers have discovered one of the faintest galaxies ever found near the Andromeda Galaxy.
The tiny galaxy, called Andromeda XXXVI (And XXXVI), may be around...
An alternative to black holes: Gravastars with big bangs inside
One foundational part of astrophysics concerns how stellar mass black holes form.
When a star several times more massive than our Sun runs out of...
Solar storms may reduce rain and snow across North America, study warns
Scientists have discovered new evidence that powerful solar storms may briefly affect Earth's weather.
A new study suggests that after a large solar storm, some...
Deep Space
Russia has declared a new space race, hoping to join forces with China. Here’s...
This week, the Russian space agency Roscosmos had hoped to return to the moon after an absence of nearly 50 years.
Instead, on Saturday it...
Extreme solar storms may be more frequent than previously thought
Researchers propose in a new study why an extreme solar storm in 1859 was so damaging to Earth’s magnetic field.
They compared the storm with...
Mars Curiosity drives over a rock, cracking it open and revealing an amazing yellow...
On May 30th, the Mars Curiosity rover was just minding its own business exploring Gediz Vallis when it ran over a rock.
Its wheel cracked...
Scientists capture a rare cosmic dance caused by a rapidly rotating black hole
Astronomers have made an extraordinary discovery that brings one of Einstein’s lesser-known predictions to life.
For the first time, scientists have observed a swirling distortion...
Mars hit by space rocks more often than previously thought
NASA's Mars InSight Lander may be retired, but its data is still revealing new insights.
A team of scientists, led by Brown University, found that...