‘Little Red Dots’ Remain a Cosmic Mystery—and New Research Reveals They May Be Keeping a Very Big Secret
Little red dots have perplexed researchers since their discovery—and now we may be closer than ever to unraveling their mystery.
Astronomy
James Webb Space Telescope Discovery Reveals Hidden Stars Massively Expanding Early Galaxies
James Webb Space Telescope data have revealed hidden stars that astronomers say are unexpectedly increasing the mass of early galaxies.
Newly Discovered Object is So Close to the Milky Way’s Central Black Hole it’s Experiencing Warped Spacetime
Astronomers have spotted an object so close to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way its experiencing warped spacetime.
Look What NASA Caught Photobombing the August 2026 Solar Eclipse in This Striking New Image
During the August 2026 solar eclipse, a surprise cameo appearance by something in Earth’s orbit was captured in striking new images.
As This Ancient Star Cluster Unravels, a Never-Before-Seen Star Ribbon is Forming Under the Influence of Dark Matter
Dark matter remains elusive to scientists, despite making up the majority of our universe’s mass, and now there's a new way to observe it.
What Time is the Solar Eclipse on August 12? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
A total solar eclipse will be ocurring today (Wednesday, August 12, 2026). Here's what you need to know about where and how to see it.
James Webb Space Telescope Data Reveals a Previously Undiscovered ‘Gravitational Arc’ That Was Hidden in Plain Sight
A previously undiscovered candidate for a cosmic gravitational phenomenon has been uncovered, in a surprise discovery made from JWST observations.
Scientists Are About to Test a Revolutionary New Device During This Week’s Solar Eclipse—Here’s What It Could Reveal
European scientists are taking advantage of this week's solar eclipse to test a potentially groundbreaking instrument that could transform the way astronomers study the Sun.
Look: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Captures Striking New Images That Bring the ‘Lion Nebula’ Roaring to Life
Stunning new imagery of the distant celestial object NGC 2392, better known as the “Lion Nebula,” has been obtained by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
A Bizarre Dead Star’s Magnetic Field Has Revealed a Strange Surprise, Potentially Confirming a 90-Year-Old Theory
New research reveals a magnetar that appears to display a phenomenon first predicted almost a century ago, but never directly observed.
“Pluto Never Stops Surprising Us”: SwRI Scientists Find Evidence of Liquid Nitrogen on Pluto
SwRI researchers have revealed evidence of liquid nitrogen on the surface of the dwarf planet Pluto captured by NASA's New Horizons mission.
Rubin Observatory Reveals More Than Half a Million Galaxies in Landmark First Science Image
A breathtaking view of the cosmos featuring more than half a million galaxies has been released by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
Max Planck eROSITA Team Releases the Most Comprehensive Census of the High-Energy Universe Ever Assembled
The Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics has released the most complete catalog of the high-energy universe ever assembled.
Rare Meteorite From New Jersey Roof Strike Offers New Clues to the Origins of Life
A meteorite that crashed through a New Jersey home reveals ancient asteroid chemistry that may offer clues to the origins of life on Earth.
New Observations Reveal the Staggering Scale of the Universe’s Largest Galaxy
As new observations reveal the edges of IC 1101 for the first time, they allow scientists to confirm it is the largest known galaxy.
“The Images Reveal a Remarkably Unusual Object”: Astronomers Just Discovered an Odd Three-Lobed Asteroid—And It’s Not Traveling Alone
Astronomers have made a surprising discovery about one of the brightest space rocks in the main asteroid belt.
SETI Researchers Are Expanding the Search Beyond the ‘Water Hole’
Astronomers searching for extraterrestrial intelligence have traditionally focused on a specific, narrow band of the radio spectrum.
A Rare Celestial Alignment Links Two Ancient Volcanoes in This Spectacular New Image Shared by NASA
Barnard's Loop appears behind a pair of South American peaks in one of the most breathtaking astronomy images in recent memory.
Researchers May Have Solved a Two-Thousand-Year-Old Stellar Mystery Recorded by Ancient Astronomers
New study suggests Theta Eridani stayed unusually bright for 1,000 years, helping solve a 2,000-year stellar mystery.
The Powerful Radio Afterglow from a Black Hole Tearing Apart a Star Could Help Solve a Cosmic Mystery
The cosmic violence of a black hole tearing apart a star produced a brilliant radio light observed by Chinese astronomers using US equipment.
It Appears the Reports of Venus’s Death Were Greatly Exaggerated—New Models Suggest the Planet is Still Geologically Active
New computer models suggest that Venus is not geologically dormant as previously believed, including possibly active volcanoes.
Barnard’s Star Contains Inhospitable Exoplanets—But They Could Still Tell Us Something Important in the Search for ET
The small exoplanets of our Sun’s second-nearest neighbor, Barnard’s Star, are inhospitable wastelands, British astronomers say.
NASA’s Bennu Samples Reveal Tiny Ancient Clues About the Asteroid’s Long-Lost Origins
Tiny ancient minerals inside Bennu reveal where its parent asteroid formed and how young Jupiter shaped the early Solar System.
“That’s No Moon!”: Astronomers Vexed by “Super Weird” Moon-Like Object Without a Planet
Astronomers have discovered a possible moon-like object they are calling an 'exosatellite' that astronomers cannot easily identify.
“Everywhere We Looked, We Found the Temperature Rising”: NASA Identifies a “Surprise” Heat Signature Below the Surface of Jupiter’s Moon Io
NASA and Southwest Research Institute scientists report the "surprising" detection of a heat signature below Jupiter's moon Io's surface.
Astronomers May Have Been Looking for Alien Megastructures Around the Wrong Stars
A new study suggests astronomers may have been looking for alien structures known as Dyson spheres in the wrong places.
A New Solution to the Dinosaur-Killer Meteorite Mystery Creates Fresh Questions
A new analysis of debris from a 66-million-year-old meteorite that scientists call the dinosaur-killer has revealed another origin mystery.
“A Major Milestone in the Search for Life on Other Planets”: First Ever Detection of an Atmosphere Around an Earth-Like, Habitable Zone Rocky Exoplanet
In a major boost to the search for life, Harvard astronomers have detected an atmosphere around a habitable-zone, Earth-like rocky exoplanet.
Astronomers Uncovered a Hidden Bubble Inside the Orion Nebula
A key component of the Orion Nebula had evaded detection by astronomers until now, according to newly published research.
An ‘Asteroid’ Tracked Since 1998 Made an Unexplained Orbital Shift—Now Astronomers Say It’s Something Far More Mysterious
Astronomers say an asteroid recently failed to appear where it was predicted to be, revealing a "dark" twist after decades of observations.
Scientists Achieve Most Precise Measurement Yet of Einstein’s Frame-Dragging Effect
In major new support for Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the LARES-2 has detected frame dragging around the Earth.
Breakthrough Study Uncovers New Evidence Connecting “Hidden” Dimensions to Mystery of Dark Matter
New research is revealing possible links between one of the most enduring cosmic mysteries—dark matter—and the existence of a "hidden" fifth dimension.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope May Have Just Unraveled a Longstanding Black Hole Mystery
New James Webb Space Telescope observations have astronomers on the brink of solving a longstanding supermassive black hole mystery.
Scientists Have Made a Sweet Discovery in Interstellar Space, Offering Clues to Mystery of Life’s Origins
For the first time, scientists have identified a sugar molecule in the interstellar medium, according to newly published research.
James Webb Space Telescope Reveals New Features of an Unusual Galaxy That Left Baffled Astronomers Questioning Its Origins
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is celebrating four years of unexpectedly strong performance by providing a deep new view.
ESA’s Euclid Telescope Just Spotted Two Record-Breaking Ancient Giants Among the Most Remote Objects in the Cosmos
The ESA's Euclid Space Telescope has spotted more than 30 ancient quasars that rank among the oldest and most remote space objects ever seen.
Mysterious “Space Dust” Falling on Earth May Originate from Unidentified Objects Lurking Near Our Planet, New Study Finds
New research has discovered evidence linking space dust that falls to Earth every year with an unknown variety of near-Earth objects.
Look: Japan’s Hayabusa2 Spacecraft Just Had a Close Encounter with the Mysterious Asteroid ‘Torifune’
The Hayabusa2 spacecraft completed its flyby of the asteroid Torifune over the weekend, according to Japan’s space agency.
Look: NASA Celebrates “America 250” This Independence Day With a Patriotic View of the Cosmos
With the arrival of America’s 250th birthday this Independence Day weekend, NASA is marking the occasion with a patriotic-themed perspective on the cosmos.
Hawking Radiation Breakthrough: These Black Hole Emissions Could Reveal Quantum Gravity
New experiments are bringing into focus the mechanism behind Hawking radiation, demonstrating black holes are not strictly a one-way street.
This Intriguing Exoplanet is Just 25 Light-Years from Earth—Is Its Too Dangerous to Be Home to Life?
Researchers have discovered a potentially habitable exoplanet just 25 light-years from Earth—but is its precarious location on the cosmic shore too dangerous for extraterrestrial life?
Earth May Have Been Sending Microscopic Hitchhikers Toward Venus for a Billion Years
A new model suggests that asteroid impacts on Earth may have occasionally launched microscopic material into space that could have reached Venus’s atmosphere over billions of years.
“It’s Like Using a Time Machine” Unexpected Cosmic ‘Life After Death’ Discovered on Planets Around a Burned-Out Star
New James Webb Space Telescope observations reveal that the fate of planets after the death of their host star may be surprisingly warm.
This Strange Exoplanet Has Revealed “the Clearest Evidence To Date” of Something Many Astronomers Suspected
An exoplanet is exerting a magnetic influence on its host star in the opposite direction of the normal relationship.
Whirlpool in Spacetime Around a Black Hole Merger Provides First Detection of this General Relativity Prediction
Physicists have unlocked clues hidden within gravitational waves that reveal how black holes drag spacetime along with their spin.
“Dark Matter Might Have Additional Interactions that are Hidden”: Physicists Are Searching for a Mysterious “Dark Force”
Dark matter interactions may point to a hidden “dark force,” unexpectedly constraining our Universe’s expansion and structural development.
NASA’s Webb Telescope Spied on Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS as It Left Our Solar System—What It Spotted “Surprised Researchers”
Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have revealed surprising new data about the mysterious interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS.
Scientists Release New Images Captured by the Lucy Spacecraft Flyby of Asteroid Donaldjohanson
Newly released images of the asteroid Donaldjohanson captured by NASA's Lucy spacecraft reveal age, rotation, and composition details.
Earthlings on Europa? Provocative Study Explores ‘Reverse Panspermia’ Scenario Where Earth Life May Have Invaded an Alien Moon
A provocative study suggests that Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa may not only be hospitable, but that life from Earth could be thriving there.
James Webb Space Telescope Made a Salty Discovery in This Unusual Exoplanet’s Skies
James Webb Space Telescope observations have revealed the colorful secret of the Pink Planet, the coldest object of its type ever observed.