Scientists Discover Super-Earths Are Surprisingly Common Across the Galaxy
Exoplanet super-Earths are more prevalent in the universe than earlier research predicated according to international scientists.
Astronomy
Astronomers Learn Something “Very Surprising” While Studying the Mysterious Asteroid Vesta
Vesta, the strange object in our solar system that has long fascinated astronomers isn't what it appears according to new research.
New Webb Telescope Findings Bring Black Hole Mysteries and the Hidden Side of Star Formation into Focus
New data from the MIRI EGS Galaxy and AGN (MEGA) survey showcases the power of the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared imaging capabilities.
Astronomers Spot Previously Invisible Object Near Our Solar System After Realizing It Was Glowing
Astronomers finally spotted a previously 'invisible' object near our solar system when they realized it was actually glowing in the dark.
Dark Energy’s Early Universe Behavior Was More Exotic Than Expected, New DESI Data Suggest
Exotic properties suggested by recent DESI collaboration data are more likely to apply to dark energy than dark matter, argues Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb.
James Webb Space Telescope Eyes Mysterious Objects at the Edge of the Solar System
Researchers studying mysterious objects at the edge of the solar system with the James Webb Space Telescope find origin of life clues.
New Findings Cast Doubt on Spectral Evidence of Life on Distant Exoplanet K2-18b
New analysis casts doubt on potential biosignatures detected in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b that could indicate the presence of life.
A Green Fireball Exploded Above Australia, Shocking Residents and Raising Questions
A green fireball brighter than the full moon surprised Australians with a massive bang Monday night, leaving questions about what occurred.
SETI Expands the Search for Extraterrestrial Life to a Community Scientists
The SETI Institute is bringing the search for extraterrestrial life to a broader group of budding scientists with new hands-on opportunities.
NASA’s TESS Spots Evaporating Planet in Death Spiral That’s Producing a Comet-Like Tail
A distant exoplanet is quickly disintegrating 140 light-years from Earth, spotted by MIT astronomers through NASA's TESS mission.
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Had a Weird Close Encounter During Recent Asteroid Flyby, New Images Reveal
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft captured the most detailed images yet of an oddly shaped asteroid during its recent flyby.
Skiing the Red Planet? New Evidence Suggests Ancient Mars Experienced Snow and Rain
A new analysis by UC Boulder geologists suggests the ancient Mars landscape was formed by falling precipitation, including rain and snow.
‘Cosmic Radio’ Detector May Soon End the Hunt for Elusive Dark Matter
Inspired by the tuning mechanics of an automobile’s radio, a new detector could soon help solve the dark matter mystery.
Astronomers Just Made a Big Discovery About the Universe’s Largest Cosmic Structure
The largest cosmic structure ever observed by astronomers is revealing its biggest cosmic secrets yet, with a little help from powerful gamma-ray bursts.
New ‘Spinning Universe’ Theory Could Explain a Decades-Old Cosmological Mystery
The entire universe may be rotating, like its individual parts do, potentially explaining the “Hubble tension,” which perplexes scientists.
James Webb Space Telescope Spots the First Potential Signs of Life Outside our Solar System
Cambridge astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected the first potential sign of life on another planet.
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Gears Up for Its Second Asteroid Flyby
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft is set to fly by the asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20 in a key rehearsal for its primary mission to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids.
A Long-Dormant Supermassive Black Hole Has Awakened, and It’s Doing Something Extreme and Unusual
A supermassive black hole that scientists have nicknamed "Ansky" is now awake after a long dormant period, emitting powerful X-ray flares.
James Webb Space Telescope Captures a Planet Being Consumed by Its Star for the First Time, with Unexpected Results
The James Webb Space Telescope's MIRI instrument has captured the final moments of a planet's existence, unexpectedly revealing that the object descended into its host star rather than being engulfed by it as it grew.
Hidden Galaxies Could “Break All of our Current Models” of Galactic Evolution, Astronomers Say
Hidden galaxies offering a glimpse into the past could reveal previously unknown secrets of the universe, challenging current models.
Death by Dark Energy? A Cosmic Game of Russian Roulette
Call it cosmic Russian roulette: Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb outlines a possible cosmic doomsday scenario involving dark energy.
Strange “Supermazes” Are Stretching Our Understanding of Black Holes Beyond General Relativity
Physicists are reshaping our understanding of black holes in new research that maps theoretical structures within them known as “supermazes.”
No Big Bang? Groundbreaking New Theory Could Upend the Standard Model of Cosmology
A new theory challenges the standard model of cosmology, arguing that dark matter and dark energy are not the forces behind cosmic expansion.
In the Search for Extraterrestrial Life, This Surprising Result May Bring us Closer to a Groundbreaking Discovery
"What if extraterrestrial life is not found?" international researchers ask, seeking to understand how negative results could aid future work.
A Chorus of Stars 2,700 Light-Years Away is “Singing,” and Scientists Are Listening
Stars 2,700 light years away are singing a song that researchers are listening to, uncovering stellar evolution.
Doomed Binary Star System to Produce Brilliant Explosion in the Distant Future
A binary star system about 150 light years from Earth, right on our cosmic doorstep, is on track to collide as a type 1a supernova.
Black Hole Radiation: A Surprising Ally in the Search for Life?
A surprising new study suggests the intense radiation from active galactic nuclei from a black hole might support life instead of destroying it.
James Webb Space Telescope Spots the “Dawn” of the Universe Becoming Transparent
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope to look back in time have found the earliest evidence of the universe becoming transparent.
Warp Drive Think Tank Adds Harvard Astrophysicist and Warp Theorist to Advance Planetary Defense
International warp drive think tank Applied Physics has announced a planetary defense project helmed by Dr. Avi Loeb and Dr. Shaun Fell.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Just Spotted Something on Neptune Astronomers Have Never Seen Before
The eerie glow of Neptune's aurora has been revealed for the first time in new images collected by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
James Webb Space Telescope Reveals ‘Cosmic Tornado’ and Hidden Galaxy in Striking New Images
New James Webb Space Telescope captures a "cosmic tornado" with imagery of the dramatic outflow from a newly formed star.
High-Energy Neutrinos May Hint at New Physics—or New Civilizations
Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb discusses how scientists trace the cosmic journey of high-energy neutrinos from the Big Bang to the ocean floor.
Astronomers Spot Supermassive Black Hole in a Distant Galaxy Firing ‘Death Rays’ Across the Cosmos
Astronomers studying a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy similar to our Milky Way may have just witnessed how Earth will end.
Frozen Worlds, Hidden Clues: Why We Should Search for Technosignatures on Non-Habitable Planets
Astronomers should search for technosignatures on planets that are not conducive to life. Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb explains why.
Time Travel? Powerful Atacama Cosmology Telescope Peers Over 99.99% of the Way Back in Time
New data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope has allowed astronomers to travel back in time to the dawn of the universe.
“We Might Need to Rethink Our Standard Model of Cosmology.” Largest 3D Universal Map Ever Could Solve Dark Energy Mystery
The largest 3D universal map ever produced is causing scientists to rethink our standard model of cosmology.
First Data Release From Euclid Mission Hints at Dark Matter and Deep Field Discoveries to Come
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid space telescope is set to release its first data, a preview of new deep field space observations.
Mysterious “Blazar” Directing a Massive Jet of Plasma Toward Earth Has Left Scientists Stumped
Astronomers are stumped by unusual signals coming from a blazar over 900 million light-years away from Earth.
Cosmic “Dirty Windows” Can Distort Our View Into the Universe. A New 3D Map Aims to Wipe Away the Problem
As astronomers peer through telescopes across the cosmos, dust clouds may distort the light from distant objects, altering observations.
Planetary Defence Spacecraft Captures New Images of Mysterious Martian Moon Deimos During Flyby
New images of the mysterious Martian moon Deimos were captured when the Hera mission activated its instruments past Earth for the first time.
Black Holes May Evolve Into White Holes “Where Time Begins,” Groundbreaking Theory Suggests
A radical new theory suggests that black holes can transition into white holes that eject matter, light, and time back into the universe.
More Than 100 New “Irregular” Moons Orbiting Saturn Have Been Discovered by Astronomers
Harvard astronomers have announced the discovery of over 100 previously undiscovered moons orbiting the planet Saturn.
This Primordial Galaxy’s Surprising Chemistry is Upending Our Thinking on Star Formation
Astronomers have found an unexpectedly bright and chemically complex galaxy from the first 300 million years of the universe's existence.
Astronomers Have Located the Source of Strange Long-Period Radio Pulses Coming from Deep Space
Strange radio pulses have been traced to their origin, a white dwarf and red dwarf binary pair, solving a cosmic radio mystery.
Mysterious Kuiper Belt Object May Hold Key to Solving the ‘3-Body Problem’
Astronomers have discovered what they believed to be a rare stable trio of gravitationally bound Kuiper Belt objects, offering new clues to the enduring "3-body problem."
Cosmic Anomaly at the Center of the Milky Way Could Reveal the Secrets of an Invisible Universe
New research proposes a theory to explain a mysterious anomaly at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy and revealing a new form of dark matter.
James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Mysterious Structures Encircling Planetary Nebula NGC 1514
Stunning James Webb Space Telescope images reveal new details about a pair of mysterious infrared rings around planetary nebula NGC 1514.
Primordial Black Holes: Could Dark Matter Hold a Deadly Secret?
Is it possible that dark matter, which makes up 85% of the cosmic matter budget, is simply a collection of primordial black holes?
Unprecedented Nova Eruption Reveals Extreme Heat and Mysterious Silicon Signature
A shockingly bright Nova explosion occurred right on cue, but its brilliance and strange chemical signature baffled astronomers.
Interstellar Objects: Oumuamua, Borisov, and the Case for Studying Visitors from the Stars
New research suggests that interstellar objects like ‘Oumuamua and Borisov arrive near Earth far more frequently than previously thought.