Space & Future
Scientists finally find the Milky Way’s missing black hole wind
For more than 50 years, astronomers have searched for a powerful wind blowing from the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.
Now,...
Jupiter’s giant shockwave reveals how particles reach near-light speed
Scientists studying Jupiter have captured electrons in the act of being accelerated to extremely high speeds, offering new clues about one of the universe's...
Ancient Martian ocean? Vast clay deposits may hold clues to life on Mars
Scientists have discovered that huge clay deposits near the landing site of the upcoming ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover are much larger than previously thought.
The...
Webb Telescope discovers giant sleeping black hole from the early universe
Astronomers have discovered the most distant dormant black hole ever detected, offering a rare glimpse into the early universe and how massive black holes...
How Jupiter May Have Helped Deliver the Building Blocks of Life to Earth
A new NASA-supported study suggests that Jupiter may have played a surprisingly important role in helping Earth acquire some of the key ingredients needed...
Astronomers Discover Missing Red Dwarf Stars in Ancient Star Cluster
Astronomers studying an ancient star cluster have discovered a strange gap where certain stars should exist but do not.
The finding provides new clues about...
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...
Deep Space
Asteroid Bennu holds clues to how life began: Sugars, organics, and stardust
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission brought back pristine pieces of the asteroid Bennu in 2023—and these tiny grains are turning out to be a treasure chest...
How dark matter helps supermassive black holes merge
Researchers have discovered a fascinating connection between supermassive black holes and dark matter particles that might solve a longstanding puzzle in astronomy.
This new finding...
Red giants offer a new way to measure distance in the universe
For nearly three decades now, it’s been clear that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up.
Some unknown quantity, dramatically dubbed ‘dark energy’, is...
Space scientists discover a quiet, lightweight galaxy
Space is filled with galaxies—huge groups of stars, dust, and gas, held together by gravity.
Some galaxies are busy with star-making activities, while others are...
A message to meteorite hunters: Put down your magnets!
MIT study shows that simple hand magnets erase a meteorite’s magnetic memory.