Astronomy

“Dark Matter Halos”: Harvard Researchers Propose New Explanation for Ghostly “Little Red Dots” in Deep Space

Ryan Whalen·September 10, 2025

Harvard astronomers are proposing a new theory about the mysterious “little red dots” first spied by the James Webb Space Telescope: Dark Matter Halos

“One of the Best Habitable Zone Planets” Likely Has an Atmosphere, Says New Exoplanet Research

Ryan Whalen·September 9, 2025

In hopeful news in the search for ET, researchers have discovered signs suggesting an atmosphere surrounding an Earth-like exoplanet.

ESA’s Solar Orbiter Unlocks the Mystery of the Sun’s Fastest Particles

Ryan Whalen·September 2, 2025

The Solar Orbiter mission has made another new discovery, tracing two types of solar energetic electrons to their origins in separate events.

This Weird New Space Telescope Concept Could Revolutionize the Search for Alien Life

Ryan Whalen·September 1, 2025

Rethinking the shape of space telescopes may be the answer to the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing missions to detect alien life.

Could Alien Technosignatures Be Detected from Interstellar Objects Like 3I/ATLAS? These Astronomers Say It’s Possible.

Micah Hanks·September 1, 2025

A new study says interstellar objects entering our solar system could offer scientists a chance to search for signs of alien technology.

James Webb Space Telescope Discovery Challenges What We Think We Know About Planet Formation

Ryan Whalen·August 30, 2025

New James Webb Space Telescope observations present a fresh challenge to long-held ideas about the chemistry of planet-forming disks.

James Webb Space Telescope Discovers “Cool Gemstones” and “Fiery Grime” in New Butterfly Nebula Images

Ryan Whalen·August 29, 2025

Recent James Webb Telescope findings reveal insights into the Butterfly Nebula that may explain how rocky planets form from cosmic dust.

“Watching It Perform at That Limit is Exhilarating”: Inouye Solar Telescope Captures Highest Resolution Solar Flare Ever

Ryan Whalen·August 27, 2025

The clearest image of a solar flare yet captured will provide scientists with unprecedented insight into these violent events.

3I/ATLAS Was Just Spotted by the James Webb Telescope, Confirming an Odd New Discovery About the Strange Interstellar Comet

Micah Hanks·August 26, 2025

An unusual interstellar visitor speeding through our solar system was recently spotted by the powerful eye of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Astronomers Detect Evidence of Matter ‘Evolving’ Into Dark Energy, Challenging Previous Assumptions

Ryan Whalen·August 26, 2025

A new study based on recent data provides fresh evidence that instead of being steady, dark energy’s impact on the universe is altering over time.

Strange ‘Raindrops’ of Molten Rock That Witnessed Jupiter’s Birth Reveal Clues to the Solar System’s Mysterious Origins

Ryan Whalen·August 26, 2025

Meteorites discovered on Earth escaped the violent formation of the planet Jupiter, and now researchers have analyzed these space rocks.

3I/ATLAS Comet Mystery Deepens After ‘Tantalizing’ New Observations by NASA’s SPHEREx Mission

Micah Hanks·August 25, 2025

3I/ATLAS has captured the attention of astronomers—and the public’s fascination—as new clues about its mysterious nature are revealed.

Astronomers Have Detected the Brightest Known Fast Radio Burst, Offering Unmatched Insights Into Their Mysterious Origins

Ryan Whalen·August 25, 2025

The brightest fast radio burst (FRB) on record has been observed with unprecedented precision thanks to recent upgrades to CHIME.

ALMA Telescope Discovery is Challenging Our Ideas on Accretion Disk Theory of Massive Star Formation

Ryan Whalen·August 25, 2025

Japanese researchers are proposing immense gas streams as an explanation for how high-mass stars mysteriously manage to form.

Is Anybody Out There? SETI Researchers Reveal Where Aliens Could Spot Earth’s Deep Space Signals

Ryan Whalen·August 23, 2025

Scientists engaged in the search for extraterrestrial life (SETI) have flipped the question on its head, providing new ideas in quest for ET.

Stunning X-Ray and Radio Composite Image Shows Hand-like Nebula Reaching for a Pulsar

Ryan Whalen·August 23, 2025

Astronomers have now combined radio data with X-ray images to produce a stunning new image of the pulsar B1509-58 surrounded by its nebula.

“We Found Organic Material that’s Highly Anomalous”: Samples From Asteroid Bennu Reveal Cosmic Surprises

Ryan Whalen·August 22, 2025

Scientists working with return samples from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu have uncovered a cosmic time capsule.

What Came Before the Big Bang? New Study Says ‘Numerical Relativity’ Could Unlock Cosmology’s Biggest Mysteries

Micah Hanks·August 21, 2025

New research suggests numerical relativity, a computational approach to the Einstein's equations, could resolve some of cosmology's greatest questions.

A Secret Energy Source Once Existed on the Dwarf Planet Ceres—Could It Have Fueled Habitability?

Ryan Whalen·August 21, 2025

Deep within the dwarf planet Ceres, a chemical energy source once existed that may have made the now-cold planet habitable in the distant past. 

A New “Pale Blue Dot”? NASA’s Psyche Glimpses Earth and the Moon From Deep Space

Chrissy Newton·August 21, 2025

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, while on its mission to study a metal-rich asteroid, has captured a stunning view of Earth and the Moon from deep space. 

‘Stripped to the Bone’: This Unusual Supernova is Challenging Models of Stellar Death

Ryan Whalen·August 20, 2025

In a dying star’s supernova explosion, astrophysicists discover a strange chemical signature that is radically different from others ever observed.

NASA’s Juno Mission Reveals Exotic Plasma Behavior in Jupiter’s Aurora

Ryan Whalen·August 19, 2025

Astronomers have identified a new type of plasma wave in Jupiter’s aurora, thanks to data collected by NASA’s Juno spacecraft.

James Webb Space Telescope Discovers ‘Earendel,’ the Most Distant Star Ever Seen, Could Be Something Else

Micah Hanks·August 18, 2025

Earendel, which astronomers believed to be the most distant star ever observed, may be something else according to new research.

New Study Exposes How the Search for Alien Life Becomes Exaggerated and Oversold to the Public

Tim McMillan·August 15, 2025

New study reveals how scientific claims about alien life often become exaggerated and oversold to the public.

Clever New Trick Uses the Universe as a ‘Gigantic Particle Accelerator’ in the Hunt for Dark Matter

Ryan Whalen·August 15, 2025

Astrophysicists develop a new tactic that uses galaxy clusters a sort of natural particle accelerator in the hunt for dark matter.

“It Is a Scientific First”: Groundbreaking Star Map Reveals Stellar Evolution at a Galactic Scale

Ryan Whalen·August 14, 2025

Variable stars are being studied on a new scale, thanks to a star map bringing together open clusters and providing astronomers new tools.

3I/ATLAS, the Latest Interstellar Visitor to Make Its Way to Our Solar System, is Challenging Cosmic Norms

Chrissy Newton·August 14, 2025

The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has sparked debate among astronomers since its discovery, and some are exploring whether it could be more unusual than the standard comet.

“We Just Opened Up a Pandora’s Box”: Ionic Liquid Discovery May Expand Habitable Zones in Search for Alien Life

Christopher Plain·August 13, 2025

MIT study suggests ionic liquid-based life forms could survive on the surface of rocky planets previously considered uninhabitable.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots “Mysterious Objects” So Bright They Challenge Current Ideas About the Early Universe

Christopher Plain·August 13, 2025

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted 300 bright, mysterious objects in deep space that defy traditional cosmological classification.

What Is It? Astronomers Reveal “Punctum,” a New Celestial Object Unlike Any Other Known to Exist

Micah Hanks·August 12, 2025

A faint signal detected in a nearby galaxy led to the discovery of "Punctum," a celestial object unlike any previously observed in our universe.

NASA Investigates Strange, Leopard-Spotted Martian Stone Discovered by Perseverance Rover

Ryan Whalen·August 12, 2025

NASA's perseverance rover recently collected samples from an unusual red stone on Mars bearing spots resembling a leopard’s coat.

Astronomers Spot Ancient Fast Radio Burst from the Early Universe—And It’s the Most-Distant Ever Seen

Micah Hanks·August 12, 2025

The most distant fast radio burst ever observed, originating from a time when the universe was just three billion years old, has been detected by astronomers.

Landmark James Webb Space Telescope Discovery Has Astronomers Working to Solve “The Case of a Disappearing Planet”

Ryan Whalen·August 9, 2025

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has provided crucial new evidence of a giant planet orbiting one of three stars making up Alpha Centauri.

James Webb Space Telescope Detects Most Distant Black Hole Ever Identified, Challenging Models of Early Cosmic Evolution

Ryan Whalen·August 8, 2025

A 13.3 billion-year-old black hole—the most distant ever discovered—has been observed by an international team of astronomers, providing new insights into the early universe. 

“It May Sound Really Crazy”: A Paperclip-Sized Probe Could One Day Visit a Black Hole, This Researcher Says

Ryan Whalen·August 7, 2025

Sending an artificial probe into a black hole may be in the cards within the coming decades, according to a Fudan University researcher

Scientists Successfully Synthesize ‘Superalcohol’ Seed of Life Molecule in Space-Like Conditions

Christopher Plain·August 6, 2025

Scientists announce the first ever successful synthesis of a "superalcohol" seed of life molecule that could aid the search for life in space.

Astronomers Discover Unusual White Dwarf That Shouldn’t Exist—Unless It Has a Very Rare Origin Story

Ryan Whalen·August 6, 2025

A white dwarf star close to Earth may be the result of a powerful cosmic collision, where two stars merged into one. 

Dark Matter May Arise From ‘Mirror Worlds’ or Cosmic Horizons, Bold New Theories Suggest

Ryan Whalen·August 5, 2025

New theories put forward possible answers to the long-standing question of dark matter’s particle nature, a major mystery of the universe.

Pluto’s Alien Landscape Reveals “Bladed Terrain” Riddled with Massive Methane Ice Spires, Study Suggests

Micah Hanks·August 4, 2025

Pluto’s mysterious far side may conceal towering ice formations, according to research offering clues about the dwarf planet’s bladed terrain.

High-Resolution Images Reveal Rare ‘Plasma Ribbon’ in a Distant Black Hole Galaxy

Ryan Whalen·August 4, 2025

A stunning image reveals the plasma jet at the heart of the OJ 287 galaxy, providing new data on black holes’ impact on their surroundings.

Scientists Warn Moonquakes Are Stronger and Happen More Often Than Expected

Ryan Whalen·August 2, 2025

Moonquakes created landslides on the lunar surface, according to new research highlighting new concerns for safety in moon habitation.

In the Darkness Between Stars, Mysterious Rogue Planets May Be Building Worlds of Their Own, Webb Telescope Reveals

Micah Hanks·August 1, 2025

New research has revealed that mysterious ‘rogue planets’ could be assembling scaled-down planetary systems of their own.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots a “Cosmic Starfish,” Revealing Multi-Polar Chaos in a Dying Star’s Final Act

Micah Hanks·July 31, 2025

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope catches stunning new views of a complex multi-polar structure resembling a cosmic "starfish."

Double Meteor Showers Will Close Out July with a Celestial Show—Here’s How Skywatchers Can Spot Them

Ryan Whalen·July 30, 2025

July 2025 will end with a double meteor shower, offering great views to skywatchers as the two celestial events peak simultaneously.

Cosmic Ray Discovery Suggests Extraterrestrial Life May Exist in “More Places Than We Ever Imagined”

Ryan Whalen·July 29, 2025

Cosmic rays may be enough to nourish exterrestrial life residing underground in our solar system offering to broaden the search.

A Radical New Theory Has Scientists Rethinking the Origins of the Universe

Ryan Whalen·July 28, 2025

A radical new model of the universe redefines the first few moments of existence, reducing reliance on theoretical concepts.

Scientists May Have Finally Solved the Origin Mystery of the Moon’s Exosphere

Christopher Plain·July 26, 2025

A new analysis of lunar exosphere origin theories has cast doubt on how much the high-energy solar wind really impacts its formation.

Aliens, or Something Else? Astronomers Thought Life Might Exist on This Exoplanet—New James Webb Telescope Data Says Otherwise

Micah Hanks·July 25, 2025

Claims that extraterrestrial life may exist on the exoplanet K2-18b face new challenges from James Webb Space Telescope data.

James Webb Space Telescope Sees ‘Zombie’ Black Holes Spring to Life, Feasting on Stars in Dramatic Tidal Disruption Events

Micah Hanks·July 25, 2025

Astronomers have made a series of first-of-their-kind observations that uncover the dusty remains of stars ripped apart by supermassive black holes.

Vera Rubin Observatory Unveils First High-Res Images of 3I/ATLAS—Captured Days Before Astronomers Knew It Existed

Micah Hanks·July 23, 2025

A mysterious new interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, was discovered in July. It turns out that wasn't the first time our telescopes spotted it.