Astronomy

“This is a New Phenomenon”: Massive Collisions Occurring Around Fomalhaut Are Challenging Models of Planet Formation

Ryan Whalen·December 24, 2025

Planet-forming collisions were once thought to be rare—new observations suggest they may occur far more often than scientists expected.

Scientists Suddenly Can’t Explain How Stellar Winds Spread the Seeds of Life Throughout the Cosmos

Christopher Plain·December 23, 2025

New findings suggest sunlight may not be powerful enough to propel stellar winds thought to spread the seeds of life throughout the cosmos.

“What the Heck is This?”: Astronomers Can’t Explain this Exoplanet’s Bizarre Diamond-Forming Atmosphere

Ryan Whalen·December 20, 2025

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has now observed an oddly shaped exoplanet with an unexplaiable atmosphere.

3I/ATLAS Is Making Its Closest Approach to Earth Today—Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Micah Hanks·December 19, 2025

On Friday, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS makes its nearest approach to Earth. Here's what you need to know, and how to track the alien visitor.

“Exciting Implications for the Search for Life”: New Analysis of Titan Increases Chances of Finding Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·December 18, 2025

A new analysis of Saturn's moon Titan that reduced the odds of a subsurface liquid ocean has increased the chances of extraterrestrial life.

“The Model That We Started Off With is Wrong”: Astronomers Say These Odd Blue ‘Optical Transients’ Aren’t What We Thought They Were

Ryan Whalen·December 18, 2025

New research reveals unusual cosmic bursts known as 'luminous fast blue optical transients' aren't what astronomers initially suspected.

Neptune and Uranus, the Solar System’s ‘Ice Giants,’ May Not Be So Icy After All, New Models Reveal

Ryan Whalen·December 17, 2025

Our fundamental understanding of Neptune and Uranus may be completely wrong, say researchers rethinking our solar system.

“There Are a Couple Suspicious Objects”: Discovery of Star Wars-Style Planet Orbiting Two Suns Could Lead to More Unexpected Finds

Christopher Plain·December 16, 2025

Astronomers combing through old image data have found evidence of a Star Wars-style planet orbiting two suns that previous studies had missed.

“This is a Real Gift for Physicists”: A Black Hole Just Twisted Spacetime—and Proved Einstein Right Again

Ryan Whalen·December 16, 2025

An elusive effect first envisioned by Einstein has been observed by scientists, once again vindicating the famed physicist's Theory of General Relativity.

SETI Institute Tracks ‘Twinkling’ Pulsar Signals to Sharpen Cosmic Clocks and Hunt for Alien Signals

Chrissy Newton·December 13, 2025

SETI scientists observing a pulsar’s radio pulses over time are redefining how astronomers time pulsars and search for advanced civilizations.

“No One Has Considered These Systems the Way We Did”: The Magnetic Power that Created ‘Impossible’ Black Holes

Ryan Whalen·December 13, 2025

New black hole research from the Flatiron Institute rethinks their formation under the influence of magnetic fields.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Has Discovered an ‘Impossible’ Atmosphere Around a Magma-Covered World

Ryan Whalen·December 12, 2025

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has detected the best evidence ever recorded for an atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet.

“It Does Not Fit Into Any of Our Existing Models”: The Longest Gamma-Ray Burst Ever Seen is Upending Our Ideas on High-Energy Cosmic Events

Ryan Whalen·December 10, 2025

The longest gamma-ray burst ever observed has UNC Chapel Hill astronomers questioning the very nature of these cosmic explosions.

“Cosmology as We Know It May Be Broken”: New Confirmation of the Hubble Tension Challenges Existing Models

Ryan Whalen·December 10, 2025

New measurements by astronomers have strengthened the Hubble tension, involving discrepancies between the expansion rate of the universe.

X-Ray Data Reveals Powerful ‘UFO’ Winds Generated in Record-Breaking Black Hole Event 

Ryan Whalen·December 10, 2025

Record-breaking ultrafast outflow (UFO) winds from a supermassive black hole flung matter across the universe close to the speed of light.

Is TRAPPIST-1e Really Habitable? New Study Suggests This Promising Candidate for Life May Be Something Else Entirely

Ryan Whalen·December 8, 2025

TRAPPIST-1e may be the long-sought-after habitable, Earth-like exoplanet astronomers have been looking for in the search for ET.

Scientists Trace the Mysterious Origins of These Critical Life-Supporting Elements to the Death of an Ancient Star

Christopher Plain·December 8, 2025

Scientists have found an "extreme" solution to the mysterious origins of critical life-supporting elements chlorine and potassium.

James Webb Space Telescope Discovery Reveals the Milky Way Has a Distant Twin That Shouldn’t Exist

Ryan Whalen·December 5, 2025

New James Webb Space Telescope observations have revealed a galaxy that shouldn’t exist, a complex spiral galaxy named Alaknanda.

A Razor Thin Spinning Filament of Galaxies and Dark Matter Provides New Insights Into Galactic Evolution

Ryan Whalen·December 5, 2025

A razor-thin cosmic filament is one of the largest rotating structures ever found, with implications for early galaxy formation.

The Oldest Known Eclipse Record is Shedding Light on Early Celestial Mysteries, Revealing the Location of a Misplaced Ancient Chinese City

Ryan Whalen·December 4, 2025

Using ancient Chinese eclipse records, scientists have calculated the Earth’s variable rotational speed back to the year 709 BCE.

‘Ice Volcanoes’ Are Erupting All Over 3I/ATLAS, as Scientists Say the Alien Visitor “May be a Primitive Carbonaceous Object”

Micah Hanks·December 3, 2025

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS may be showing signs of active eruptions from ice volcanoes on its surface, according to new analysis of the unusual space object.

“We Used to Think Life Had to Start Completely from Scratch”: New Evidence Shows Biomolecules May Have Origins in Earth’s Atmosphere

Christopher Plain·December 3, 2025

New experiments show that biomolecules the form the basis of all life were present in the Earth's atmosphere before the first life existed

Scienstists Reveal Samples from Near-Earth Asteroid Bennu Hold a Rich Collection of Life-Giving Ingredients

MJ Banias·December 2, 2025

New analysis of samples from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu reveals a collection of organic molecules linked to the building blocks of life.

The Hidden Oceans of Saturn and Jupiter’s Icy Moons May Have Shaped Their Surface Features, Study Reveals

Ryan Whalen·November 29, 2025

New research now shows how icy moons hidden subsurface oceans may have driven their geological development.

Astronomers Uncover the Dramatic Past of a Red Giant Star Orbiting a Hidden Black Hole

Chrissy Newton·November 28, 2025

Astronomers are revealing the dramatic past of a distant red giant star by analyzing the faint rhythmic pulses hidden in its light. 

A Mysterious New “Structure” Has Been Discovered in Our Solar System’s Kuiper Belt

MJ Banias·November 27, 2025

Far beyond Neptune, at the far outer rim of our Solar System, astronomers have spotted what looks like a hidden “structure” or “band” of small worlds.

NASA’s Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope Detects Possible First Direct Evidence of Dark Matter

Ryan Whalen·November 26, 2025

NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope may have detected the first direct evidence for dark matter, according to new research.

Dwarf Galaxies Around Andromeda Are Revealing a Complex Story of Cosmic Death

MJ Banias·November 24, 2025

A new study of M31, also known as Andromeda, explains how our cosmic neighbor kills off smaller nearby galaxies. 

James Webb Space Telescope Captures Stunning Images of “Repetitive, Predictable Structures” in a Rare Star System

Ryan Whalen·November 21, 2025

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured the first-ever image of four dust spirals surrounding the Wolf-Rayet stars in the Apep system.

Astronomers Have Observed the First Coronal Mass Ejection Outside Of Our Solar System, Spelling Bad News for Exoplanet Habitability

Ryan Whalen·November 16, 2025

For the first time, astronomers have spotted a coronal mass ejection exploding from a star other than our Sun.

“Our Current Models Are Being Put to the Test”: Researchers Say Our Solar System is Moving Impossibly Fast

Ryan Whalen·November 14, 2025

Our solar system appears to be breaking the cosmic speed limit, casting fresh doubt on the Standard Model of Cosmology.

“A New Window into the Hidden Architecture of Our Galaxy”: Astronomers Discover Lost Stars Concealed Among the ‘Seven Sisters’ of the Pleiades

Ryan Whalen·November 13, 2025

The “Seven Sisters” of the Pleiades are among the most visible stars from Earth, but new research says the cluster is larger than suspected.

3I/ATLAS Radio Signal Detections Offer New Confirmation of What Many Astronomers Have Been Saying for Months

Micah Hanks·November 11, 2025

New radio observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS leave little question about the object’s natural origin.

“A Top Contender for Extraterrestrial Life”: Subsurface Ocean on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Likely Stable Enough to Support Life

Christopher Plain·November 8, 2025

Temperature readings from Saturn's moon Enceladus suggests its subsurface liquid water ocean may be stable enough for life to evolve.

“A Potential Paradigm Shift in Cosmology”: Scientists Uncover Evidence the Universe’s Expansion is Slowing Down, Not Accelerating

Christopher Plain·November 5, 2025

Korean scientists studying Type Ia supernovae have found strong evidence that the universe's expansion is not accelerating, but slowing down.

These Water-Rich Exoplanets Shouldn’t Exist—Now Astronomers Finally Know How They’re So Wet

MJ Banias·November 4, 2025

A new study suggests mysterious water worlds may be manufacturing their own oceans through chemical reactions deep within their interiors.

Scientists Map the Colors of Life to Hunt for Potential Biosignatures on Alien Worlds

Ryan Whalen·November 3, 2025

In the search for alien life, one Cornell researcher says color may be a telltale sign of biosignatures on far-off exoplanets.

Scientists Develop “Effort.jl” Emulator That Can Simulate the Entire Universe—on Just a Laptop

Tim McMillan·November 3, 2025

Scientists have developed a new program, "Effort.jl," that utilizes AI and physics to simulate the universe at a faster rate than ever, enabling scientists to map cosmic structure in minutes.

Did 3I/ATLAS Just Show Signs of Technology? Interstellar Object Displays ‘Non-Gravitational Motion’ as it Swings Past the Sun  

Micah Hanks·November 1, 2025

A new report offers the latest confirmation of 3I/ATLAS and its interstellar origins, as scientists still debate over its unusual properties.

Halloween Fireballs? Astronomers Warn of Potential Enhanced Risk of Cosmic Impacts and Airbursts in the Coming Decade

Christopher Plain·October 31, 2025

Astronomers warn of a small yet likely enhanced risk of damage, injury, or death from exploding swarms of Halloween Fireballs.

New Evidence Reveals Early Dark Energy May Have Had a Surprising Effect on Cosmic Expansion

Ryan Whalen·October 31, 2025

Very early dark energy (vEDE) may have accelerated the universe’s expansion just 380,000 years after the Big Bang, new research suggests.

Unexpected Earth-Sized Exoplanets Discovered in Binary Star System “Test the Limits of Planet Formation Models”

Ryan Whalen·October 28, 2025

A trio of newly discovered exoplanets is defying the expectation that binary systems are hostile to planet formation, according to an international team of researchers.

Astronomers Just Spotted an Undiscovered Space Object Hiding in the Sun’s Glare—And It’s Moving Extremely Fast

Micah Hanks·October 27, 2025

Hidden by the Sun’s glare, a new space object has been found lurking in our Solar System, and it's one of the fastest-moving of its kind.

Elusive ‘Alfvén Waves’ Have Been Discovered in the Sun’s Corona, Ending Nearly a Century of Searching

Ryan Whalen·October 27, 2025

Scientists have finally discovered theoretical torsional Alfvén waves within the Sun’s corona, concluding a decades-long search.

“We Made an Exciting Discovery”: Astronomers Spot ‘Super Earth’ in Star’s Habitable Zone Less Than 20 Light Years From Earth

Christopher Plain·October 23, 2025

A newly spotted 'super-Earth' orbiting within its star's habitable zone, just 20 light-years from Earth, could host extraterrestrial life.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Has Discovered Evidence of Unexpected Chaos in the Early Universe

Ryan Whalen·October 22, 2025

New James Webb Space Telescope observations indicate that early galaxies were more chaotic than previous results suggested.

3I/ATLAS is Leaving a Mysterious “Hidden” Trail of Particles in Its Wake—Now Scientists Have a Plan to Intercept It  

Micah Hanks·October 22, 2025

3I/ATLAS is producing a "hidden" tail of charged particles, and these scientsts have a bold new plan to send spacecraft into it.

This Black Hole Devoured a Star from Within, Causing a Record-Breaking Cosmic Explosion

MJ Banias·October 22, 2025

Astronomers have discovered the longest gamma-ray burst ever recorded, revealing that a black hole literally consumed a star from the inside out over the course of seven hours.

James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Complex ‘Seeds of Life’ Molecules Beyond the Milky Way For the First Time

Christopher Plain·October 21, 2025

Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted "seeds of life" molecules around a protostar 160,000 light years from Earth.

“What Is the Origin of the Waves?” Scientists Hunt the Source of Mysterious Ultra-Low Frequency Gravitational Signals

Ryan Whalen·October 20, 2025

Ultra-low frequency nanohertz gravitational waves emanating from pulsars may be revealing the fabric of the universe.