Have Astronomers Found Signs of Life in Venus’s Atmosphere? UK-led VERVE Mission Aims to Investigate
The VERVE mission seeks to investigate the presence of bacterial life floating in the heavy cloud cover on Venus up close.
Astronomy
‘CosmoCube’ Spacecraft Plans to Listen for Whispers from the Cosmic Dark Ages on the Far Side of the Moon
A proposed satellite mission aims to orbit the far side of the Moon to detect faint radio signals from the universe’s cosmic Dark Ages.
“E-MERLIN is Showing What’s Possible”: UK Telescope Array Captures a Rare Look at Protoplanetary “Pebbles”
New observations from England’s e-MERLIN interferometer telescope array display cosmic pebbles that will one day grow into entire exoplanets.
Cosmic Mystery Solved? Earth May Reside Within a Huge ‘Void’ in Space
Scientists have proposed Earth is in the middle of a huge void in space, potentially resolving the cosmic mystery known as the Hubble Tension.
Look: Stunning First Images from Vera C. Rubin Observatory Reveal the Cosmos Like Nothing You’ve Ever Seen
The widely anticipated first images collected by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have been released, offering nothing short of an awe-inspiring view of the cosmos.
Did a Mystery Object Just Hit Saturn? Astronomers Investigating Strange Flash Issue Urgent Call for Images
Astronomers are calling for images of Saturn captured over the weekend that may help document a rare impact event with a mystery object.
‘Space Ice’ Experiments Pour Cold Water on Panspermia Origin of Life Theories
Scientists studying space ice say the amorphous, low-density material's structure decreases the odds of a panspermia origin of life theories.
Theoretical “Dark Dwarfs” Lurking Near the Galactic Center Could Help Reveal Dark Matter’s Secrets
Dark dwarfs, stars composed of dark matter, may be the optimal objects in which to finally discover physical dark matter in the real world.
NASA’s SPHEREx Space Telescope Begins Its Groundbreaking Mission to Share All-Sky Mapping Data with the Public
NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope has settled into low-Earth orbit, providing a wellspring of publicly available space data.
Astronomers Are Tracking a Massive New Interstellar Object That Just Entered Our Solar System
Astronomers have announced the discovery of A11pl3Z, a massive new interstellar object entering our solar system.
James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Peculiar Cosmic ‘Jellyfish’ in Rare Galactic Observation
The most distant known example of what astronomers call a “jellyfish galaxy” has been spotted by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
“I Literally Screamed with Joy”: In a Rare Stellar Discovery, Kilonova Project Citizen Scientists Have Made a Breakthrough
Citizen scientists working with the Kilonova Project made their first confirmed discovery of a rare exploding star, enabling rapid follow-up observations by astronomers.
Is Cosmic Expansion Losing Steam? Scientists Say Dark Energy’s Grip May Be Weakening
Scientists say the dark energy in our universe may be losing its power over time, leading to a slowdown in universal expansion.
James Webb Space Telescope Trains Its Sights on the ‘Bullet Cluster,’ Revealing a Stunning View of Galaxies in Collision
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured high-resolution images of the Bullet Cluster, revealing its complex dynamics.
Rethinking the Search for Extraterrestrial Life: Scientists Urge Broader Search as Exoplanet Discoveries Multiply
New research says that the search for extraterrestrial life may be too narrow, as life could thrive in conditions far different from Earth's.
A Mysterious Radio Signal from Space Was Traced to an Unexpected Source—and It’s Something Within Our Own Galaxy
An object astronomers initially thought to be a high-speed burst of radio waves from deep space last year has been revealed to be something else entirely.
James Webb Space Telescope Captures First Direct Image of Mysterious Alien Exoplanet Lurking in Dusty Debris Disk
In a groundbreaking first, the James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first direct image of a distant exoplanet unrecognized from past astronomical surveys.
In the Search for Alien Signals, the SETI Institute is Partnering with SpaceX to Mitigate Satellite Interference
Starlink satellites can interfere with the signals the SETI monitors, but a new collaboration aims to halt the potential contamination.
How The Giant Magellan Telescope Could Confirm Potential Signs of Life Spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope
The Giant Magellan Telescope team explains how the observatory will help solve the mysteries of the cosmos including the search for life.
ESA Launches Plans for Triple-Spacecraft Mission Using Laser Antenna to “Surf Gravitational Waves”
The European Space Agency’s Laser Interferometer Antenna will be the first space-based observatory designed to study gravitational waves.
Astronomers Say This Ancient Radio Signal Could Reveal New Clues About Mysterious “Cosmic Dawn”
An ancient radio signal generated a soon after the Big Bang, may be the key to understanding the Cosmic Dawn and the Epoch of Reionization.
X-Ray Telescopes Reveal 23-Million-Light-Year Filament That May Help Solve “Missing Matter” Mystery
A potential solution to the decades-long “missing matter” problem has been uncovered in astronomers' recent analysis of X-ray data.
Astronomers Have Made an “Exceptional” Discovery, Only the Third of Its Kind “In the Entire History of Observations”
An international team of scientists used expertise, patience, microlensing, and a little bit of luck to make an exceptionally rare discovery.
The Sculptor Galaxy is Detailed in Unprecedented Imagery Combining Over 100 Telescope Observations
The entire Sculptor Galaxy is displayed in thousands of colors observed by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope.
Caltech’s DSA-110 Radio Telescope Helps Team Solve Longstanding Mystery of Universe’s Missing Matter
Fast Radio Bursts finally help determine where the “missing” half of the universe’s expected matter resides in new research.
Engineering Artificial Eclipses, the ESA’s Proba-3 Mission Catches First High-Res Images of the Sun’s Mysterious Corona
The first images from the ESA's Proba-3 mission have captured the Sun's mysterious corona by creating artificial eclipses in space.
James Webb Space Telescope Has Spotted Something “Abnormal, Chaotic, and Strange” 60 Light-Years from Earth
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has spotted an “abnormal, chaotic, and strange" planetary system 60 light-years from Earth.
James Webb Space Telescope Captures Odd Silicate Clouds and a Rare Moon-Forming Disk
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured high-resolution information on two young exoplanets, providing astrophysicists with fresh details about exoplanet atmospheres and formation.
James Webb Space Telescope Spots Source of ‘Extreme’ Redshift 7 Ultraviolet Light Powering Cosmic Reionization
The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted extreme galaxy clusters generating enough ultraviolet light to account for cosmic reionization.
Astronomers Have Spotted a Giant Exoplanet Forming in Distant Star System
A newly formed planet may have been discovered by astronomers after identifying what seems to be a gas giant in a planet-forming disk's gap.
“People Thought This Couldn’t Be Done”: Ground-Based Telescopes Detect Echoes of “Cosmic Dawn” by Peering 13 Billion Years Back in Time
Astronomers have used Earth-based telescopes to look over 13 billion years back in time to the Cosmic Dawn just after the Big Bang.
Magnetic Explosion Driving Space Weather Captured by NASA’s Parker Space Probe
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe detected a powerful magnetic explosion providing new data on magnetic reconnection, important to space weather.
A Rare ‘Super-Earth’ Has Been Identified by Astronomers Using This Breakthrough Exoplanet Detection Method
Chinese and German scientists have utilized the Transit Timing Variation technique to locate an exoplanet super-Earth for the first time.
Astronomers Pinpoint Starburst Origins of Early Galaxies, Settling a Stellar Formation Debate
Astrophysicists have just discovered when a particular class of galaxies, Lyman Alpha Emitters, experienced their first major star formation.
“It Was a Crazy Idea”: James Webb Space Telescope Confirms Dramatic Phenomenon On Pluto
James Webb Space Telescope observations suggest Pluto’s atmosphere is unlike any other in the solar system, confirming a 2017 hypothesis.
Astronomers Identify ‘Extreme Nuclear Transients’ 100 Times More Energetic than Supernovae
Extreme nuclear transients (ENT) are an entirely new class of cosmic events, representing the most energetic explosions ever observed.
Astronomers Say They “Don’t Really Understand” Why a Giant Planet Orbits This Tiny Star
A small red dwarf star, TOI-6894, is defying astronomers' expectations by having a gas giant planet in its orbit.
“A Glimpse of the Future”: Scientists Suggest ‘Supermassive’ Alternative to Next Generation Supercolliders
Scientists say supermassive black holes that smash together particles at near light speeds could potentially replace high-cost supercolliders.
“Groundbreaking” James Webb Space Telescope Discoveries on WASP-121b Set “a Precedent for Future Exoplanet Studies”
James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) observations of exoplanet WASP-121b are contributing valuable clues about how the planet formed.
James Webb Space Telescope Data Reveals Clues to Mysterious Activity Beneath Europa’s Icy Crust
James Webb Space Telescope data indicating that Jupiter’s moon Europa is undergoing constant surface changes has found new support.
China’s Tianwen-2 Launches to Retrieve Samples from Mysterious Asteroid Kamo’oalewa
On May 28, China’s Tianwen-2 launched on a sample return mission to asteroid Kamo’oalewa, before heading out for a visit with the Comet 311P.
Astronomers Detect Repeating Signals From Space Object That’s “Unlike Anything We Have Seen Before”
Astronomers have reported the discovery of a mysterious object in deep space that emits radio signals and X-rays in a repeating pattern.
Gravitational-Wave Rockets: Could Black Hole Mergers Power Space Travel?
Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb discusses the hypothetical use of highly energetic events as a way to produce "gravitational-wave rockets."
Scientists Find “Up to a 40% Chance” Theoretical ‘Planet Nine’ Exists Given the Correct Conditions
A new analysis of planet formation models estimates the odds of a theoretical Planet Nine orbiting our sun at 40% given proper conditions.
James Webb Space Telescope Time Travels to Spot an Ancient “Mega-Monster,” Revealing a Cosmic Oddity
Stunning new deep-field imagery captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals one of the universe's most distant galaxies.
“We’ve Got a New Mystery on Our Hands”: Scientists Stumped by Unexplained Motion in Titan’s Atmosphere
Scientists studying the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan have discovered a mysterious, gyroscopic motion they can't quite explain.
Mysterious Cosmic Radiation is “a Very Serious Problem” for Astronauts—New Research Could Finally Reveal Its Origins
Cosmic rays' power source has long remained a mystery, yet new research may finally provide the answer to where particle streams originate.
James Webb Space Telescope Unveils New Mysteries in “Largest and Deepest” Sample of Galaxies Ever Detected
The James Webb Space Telescope yielded the largest galaxy group sample ever observed after scanning a patch of sky known as the COSMOS Web.
James Webb Space Telescope Reveals New Clues to Earthlike Mysteries on Saturn’s Moon Titan
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and the Keck II telescope have collected first-of-its-kind evidence for cloud formation on Titan.
‘Cosmic Joust’ Unfolds as Quasar Pierces Galaxy in Violent Intergalactic Duel, Leaving a Radioactive Scar
As one galaxy smashed into the other, the winner pieced its cosmic victim, leaving behind a high level of radiation in a unique observation.