Space & Future
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...
Astronomers witness ultra-fast winds erupt from a supermassive black hole
Astronomers have witnessed a dramatic and never-before-seen event near a supermassive black hole: an intense X-ray flare that, within hours, triggered ultra-fast winds blasting...
Did black holes change over time? Astronomers question a 50-year-old rule about quasars
Astronomers have uncovered surprising evidence that challenges a long-standing rule about quasars, some of the brightest objects in the universe.
The discovery suggests that the...
Supermassive black holes are picky eaters during galaxy mergers, study finds
Black holes are famous for their enormous appetites, pulling in gas, dust, and even light itself.
But new research shows that even the largest black...
Deep Space
New evidence for our solar system’s ghost Planet Nine
Does another undetected planet languish in our Solar System’s distant reaches?
Does it follow a distant orbit around the Sun in the murky realm of...
Astronomers spot a blazing-fast star with a possible planet
Astronomers may have found a star racing through our galaxy at an incredible speed—dragging a planet along with it!
If confirmed, this would be the...
Polaris, Earth’s north star, has a surprisingly spotted surface
Humanity’s been fortunate to have a star situated over Earth’s north pole. The star, known as Polaris, or the North Star, has guided many...
Saturn’s rings will disappear in 2025. don’t worry, they’ll return soon enough
The rings of Saturn are some of the most well-known and captivating spectacles in the night sky, which are so large they can easily...
Maybe Mars isn’t hiding liquid water under its south pole after all
For years, scientists have been intrigued by a mysterious signal coming from the icy south pole of Mars.
In 2018, a radar instrument called MARSIS,...