Astronomy Archives

70 New Rogue Exoplanets Spotted by Astronomers

Christopher Plain·December 23, 2021

70 rogue exoplanets, or planets not bound to a host star, have been discovered wandering through the Milky Way galaxy. Described as a “breakthrough discovery,” the newly identified rogue exoplanets could help researchers better understand how these space bodies develop...

NASA Releases Eerie Audio from Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede

Christopher Plain·December 21, 2021

NASA has released a new audio recording of Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons, which was captured by the Juno mission as the spacecraft flew within 645 miles of the moon’s surface. Produced by the mission’s WAVES instrument, which typically tunes...

Could Black Holes Account for ‘Missing’ Dark Matter?

Christopher Plain·December 21, 2021

A new study proposes that black holes formed at the dawn of time may actually account for all dark matter. This theory, the authors note, builds on previous work from Stephen Hawking performed in the 1970s, and may finally answer...

Webb telescope micrometeoroid impacts, Hubble Tension, James Webb Space Telescope

New ESA Video Shows James Webb Nearing Launch

Christopher Plain·December 20, 2021

A new video from the European Space Agency (ESA) reveals the final steps currently being taken to prepare the James Webb Telescope for it planned December 24th launch. Although the launch has been delayed a number of times already, the...

List of Confirmed Exoplanets Grows by 301

Christopher Plain·December 8, 2021

A recent analysis of previously recorded satellite data has added 301 new exoplanets to the continuously growing list. This latest addition comes as a result of a new deep neural network tool employed by NASA researchers that can distinguish the...

DART, NASA’s New Planetary Defense Mission, Has Launched Aboard a SpaceX Rocket

Micah Hanks·November 26, 2021

A mission to test technology that may one day be used to defend our planet against potentially deadly asteroids and other near-Earth objects was successfully launched on Wednesday, according to NASA.

Videos Show What Happens if You Enter a Black Hole

Christopher Plain·November 25, 2021

What happens when you enter a black hole? It is a question posed by scientists and science fiction writers alike, but not one that can be easily tested in the real world.

What the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope means for the Astronomy World

Matt Bothwell·November 25, 2021

If all goes to plan, the James Webb Space Telescope is set to re-write everything we know about our place in the Universe.

NASA Anomaly Review Board Investigates “Incident” with the James Webb Space Telescope

Micah Hanks·November 24, 2021

The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope has been delayed after an "incident" that is currently under investigation, NASA officials say.

Most Rocky Exoplanets are Probably Nothing Like Earth

But They Are Still the Best Places to Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·November 22, 2021

Rocky exoplanets are widely considered the best places to search for extraterrestrial life. However, a first of its kind study by a geologist and an astronomer has determined that the vast majority of these alien worlds are probably no place...

Near-earth asteroid may be broken off chunk of the moon

Christopher Plain·November 12, 2021

A team of astronomers believe that a near earth asteroid could actually be a lost fragment of Earth’s moon. Named Kamo’oalewa, the asteroid is between 150 and 190 feet in size, and regularly comes to within about 9 million miles...

Did An Ancient Comet Turn Chile’s Atacama Desert Into Glass?

Christopher Plain·November 8, 2021

Researchers from Brown University studying glass shards in the Atacama Desert of Chile have determined that it was almost surely caused by the explosion of a comet approximately 12,000 years ago. Specifically, the researchers indicate that the glassification of the...

Sadly, That Technosignature From Proxima Centauri Was a False Alarm

Jazz Shaw·November 2, 2021

One of the strongest candidates to date for an alien technosignature most likely originated from a source much closer to home than Proxima Centauri, new research says.

We Might Be Able to Nuke an Asteroid to Save the World After All, Study Says

Jazz Shaw·October 19, 2021

A recent study by a team of scientists says that under the right conditions, a nuclear blast actually could be used to save the Earth from an incoming asteroid.

Survival After Death: How a Dead Star is Showing Us the Future of Our Solar System

Micah Hanks·October 15, 2021

New research reveals that some solar systems around white dwarfs can survive the volatile period toward the end of a dying star's lifespan.

Something is Producing Radio Waves in the Heart of the Milky Way, and it Has Astronomers Baffled

Micah Hanks·October 14, 2021

Strange radio waves detected by astronomers in recent days have led some to believe that a hidden stellar object may be lurking near the center of the Milky Way.

Meteorite Slams Through the Roof of Canadian Woman’s Home, Landing on Her Pillow

Micah Hanks·October 14, 2021

A Canadian woman recently had a rude awakening as a meteorite tore through the ceiling of her home, covering her in debris and prompting a 911 call.

NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Zeros in On Mysterious Trojan Asteroid Swarms Following Jupiter

Micah Hanks·October 1, 2021

Lurking in orbit around our Sun and sharing a path with Jupiter are the mysterious Trojan asteroid swarms, which astronomers have now trained their sights on for future study.

New Discovery on the “Strangest Exoplanet Ever Found” Has Astronomers Puzzled

Candy Chan·September 27, 2021

Astronomers have now detected clouds on a gas giant exoplanet nearly 520 light-years from Earth.

Unusual Sounds Produced by Bright Meteors Point to an Odd Acoustic Anomaly

Micah Hanks·September 17, 2021

Reports of odd sounds associated with bright meteors over the years point to a longstanding mystery of physics.

Shields Up! White Dwarf Stellar Winds May Serve as Planetary Defense Shields

Christopher Plain·July 21, 2021

New research suggests that stellar winds produced by white dwarf stars could serve as "defense shields" for potentially habitable planets.

Government UFO Data Should be Studied by Scientists, This Astronomer Says

Micah Hanks·July 20, 2021

Americans have been left wondering whether information the U.S. government is collecting on UFO incidents will be provided to scientists for independent evaluation.

Complex Life May Prefer Planets Tilted on Their Axis, Says New Research

Candy Chan·July 8, 2021

Planets tilted on their axis may be more capable of sustaining life, according to new research presented at the Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference.

Scientists Detect Signs of Life at a Distance Using Remote Sensing

Micah Hanks·June 22, 2021

Scientists say they have successfully detected signs of life using remote sensing techniques, in a research study that could be a breakthrough in the search for life on other planets.

Mars May Still be Volcanically Active, New Research Says

Micah Hanks·May 14, 2021

New research has suggested that Mars may still be volcanically active, which could have implications for astrobiology on the Red Planet.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is Breaking Records as the Fastest Manmade Object

Micah Hanks·May 4, 2021

Faster than a speeding bullet, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe may not be Superman, but it certainly is breaking records for being the fastest object humans have ever sent into space.

Blast from the Past: Astronomers Detect “Extreme” Event From Proxima Centauri

Micah Hanks·April 23, 2021

Astronomers have observed an “extreme” flaring event on Proxima Centauri, which they believe to be the largest the star has ever been seen to produce.

Second Interstellar Visitor Borisov Is The Most Pristine Comet Ever Observed

Tim McMillan·March 30, 2021

New research released today suggests the second interstellar object ever detected, 2I/Borisov, was likely the most pristine comet ever observed. Based on observations made using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), a team of astronomers now believe Borisov...

Meteor Shower? Strange Lights Over the Pacific Northwest Had Another Explanation

Micah Hanks·March 27, 2021

Stargazers throughout the Pacific Northwest were treated to a striking aerial display on Thursday night, but this bizarre light show was no meteor shower.

Technosignatures of Intelligent Aliens Could Be “Lurking” Nearby, Study Says

A group of researchers propose searching for "unusual signatures or phenomena" on the Moon, and even around Earth.

Micah Hanks·March 25, 2021

A new study proposes searching for unusual technosignatures or phenomena on the Moon, and even around Earth.

Incredible Winds on Jupiter Stun Researchers in Astronomical First

Micah Hanks·March 19, 2021

Astronomers have obtained measurements of the winds in Jupiter’s middle atmosphere with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.

Bacteria Strains Recovered From ISS Are New to Science, Study Says

Micah Hanks·March 18, 2021

Scientists have found that bacteria recovered from the International Space Station were previously unrecognized by science.

Asteroid 2001 FO32 Will Pass the Earth Later This Month Without Incident

Micah Hanks·March 15, 2021

The near approach of asteroid 2001 FO32 follows on the coattails of a recent close encounter Earth had with 99942 Apophis.

Gliese 486b, a Newly-Discovered “Super Earth,” Heats Up Exoplanet Studies

Micah Hanks·March 12, 2021

A gigantic, stony Earth-like world with rivers of lava and almost no atmosphere, Gliese 486b is lighting a fire under current exoplanet studies.

Winchcombe Meteorite That Lit Up UK Skies May Contain Building Blocks of Life

Micah Hanks·March 11, 2021

A brilliant fireball that lit up the UK skies last month has been recovered on UK soil, and its chemical makeup makes it one of the rarest of its kind.

Apophis, a Feared Future Earth Impactor, Just Flew Past Us

Micah Hanks·March 8, 2021

Apophis, a near-earth asteroid as large as the Eifel Tower, has kept some astronomers on edge about its future flybys.

Methane May Be The Best Way to Find Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·January 26, 2021

It is likely that Methane gas, and not Oxygen, will represent the first chemical sign of life on another planet, according to new study.

Meet The Scientists Hunting for Alien Technology Through ‘Technosignatures’

MJ Banias·December 28, 2020

The scientists who search for extraterrestrial technosignatures are coming up in the astronomy world and they want you to know it.

Physicists Say Milky Way Is a Graveyard of Alien Civilizations

Researchers from Caltech argue that civilizations will eventually self-annihilate due to technology.

Collin Jones·December 22, 2020

New research conducted Caltech physicists suggests that the Milky Way galaxy may be full of self-annihilated extraterrestrial civilizations.

SETI Detected A Mystery Signal From A Nearby Star

Radio Signals Detected by SETI Researchers may be First Artificial Signal from an Exoplanet.

Christopher Plain and MJ Banias·December 21, 2020

A team of researchers from SETI have detected a mystery signal coming from Proxima Centauri, our closest cosmic neighbor.

Search for Mysterious “Planet Nine” Aided by Hubble Exoplanet Discovery

Micah Hanks·December 12, 2020

An exoplanet with a peculiar orbit 336 light-years from Earth may shed light on the search for the long-sought Planet Nine.

Chang’e-5 Lander Returning to Earth from Lunar Surface

China's Chang'e-5 lunar lander's ascent vehicle is bringing back the first lunar soil samples to be collected since the 1970s.

Collin Jones·December 5, 2020

China's Chang'e-5 lunar lander's ascent vehicle is bringing back the first lunar soil samples to be collected since the 1970s.

Is There Life on Mars? New Study Says It’s Probably Underground

MJ Banias·December 3, 2020

A new study concludes that if life ever existed on Mars, it would have to dwell well below the planet's surface.

New Findings May Place the Asteroid Apophis Within Striking Distance of Earth

Apophis May Strike Earth in 2068 Due to Yarkovsky Effect.

MJ Banias·December 2, 2020

New data presented in late October indicates that the 340-meter-wide Apophis asteroid may drift much closer to Earth than initially thought.

Astronomers Analyze A Rare 470 Year Old ‘Baby’ Magnetar

Swift J1818.0−1607 Is A Rare Magnetar But Its Even More Special Because Its Just A Baby.

Chris Rutkowski·November 30, 2020

Astronomers analyse a 470 year old "baby" cosmic object known as a magnetar using the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Iconic Arecibo Telescope To Be Demolished Due to Structural Failures

Repairing The Dish Far Too Risky As Support Cables Fail.

MJ Banias·November 20, 2020

The radio telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico will be demolished after suffering structural damage.