Space

James Webb Telescope Unveils Secrets of Small, Mysterious Planets That “Don’t Exist in Our Solar System.”

Ryan Whalen·May 7, 2025

For the first time, astronomers have used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to peer through the thick haze of a sub-Neptune planet’s atmosphere, offering new clues about one of the universe’s most mysterious and common types of worlds.

What’s That? NASA’s Curiosity Rover Spots Weird “Honeycomb” and “Waffle” Patterns on Mysterious Martian Rocks

Micah Hanks·May 6, 2025

NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered odd polygonal fractures on the Martian surface that resemble honeycombs or waffle-like patterns.

ESA’s Gaia Mission Unveils a Stellar Mystery, and Astronomers “Haven’t Found Anything Quite Like It Before”

Ryan Whalen·May 6, 2025

The Gaia star surveyor has identified strange behavior in a group of stars rushing to escape their birthplace, unlike any others observed. 

Infrasound Technology Proves Critical for Planetary Defense Against Threats from Outer Space

Christopher Plain·May 3, 2025

A Sandia National Laboratories scientist has demonstrated how infrasound technology can improve planetary defense against threats from space.

Astronomers Solve 20-Year Mystery of Magnetar Flare, Revealing the Source of Our Universe’s Gold

Ryan Whalen·May 2, 2025

Magnetar flares produce gold, platinum, and other heavy elements in our galaxy, says new research on a strange cosmic flash over 20 years ago.

Scientists Discover Super-Earths Are Surprisingly Common Across the Galaxy

Ryan Whalen·May 1, 2025

Exoplanet super-Earths are more prevalent in the universe than earlier research predicated according to international scientists.

Astronomers Learn Something “Very Surprising” While Studying the Mysterious Asteroid Vesta

Ryan Whalen·April 30, 2025

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

Micah Hanks·April 29, 2025

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.

NASA is Firing a Hybrid Rocket into Simulated Moon Dust to Help Plan for Artemis Lunar Landings

Ryan Whalen·April 29, 2025

NASA researchers at Huntsville are conducting research to ensure that landings on potentially unstable lunar surface proceed reliably.

China Launches Three Astronauts to the Tiangong Space Station 

Chrissy Newton·April 29, 2025

China has launched three astronauts into space to head to the Chinese Tiangong space station to replace the existing crew onboard. 

Astronomers Spot Previously Invisible Object Near Our Solar System After Realizing It Was Glowing

Christopher Plain·April 28, 2025

Astronomers finally spotted a previously 'invisible' object near our solar system when they realized it was actually glowing in the dark.

“They Will Act as Lighthouses in Space.” China Saves Off-Course Satellites Using Gravity Slingshot After Launch Failure

Ryan Whalen·April 28, 2025

China rebounded from a failed March 2024 space mission by saving two off-orbit satellites through a novel navigation technique.

Orbilander Mission Revamp Brings NASA Closer to Finding Life on Saturn’s Mysterious Moon Enceladus

Ryan Whalen·April 27, 2025

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Team X is suggesting major changes to the proposed Orbilander mission to Enceladus.

James Webb Space Telescope Eyes Mysterious Objects at the Edge of the Solar System

Christopher Plain·April 26, 2025

Researchers studying mysterious objects at the edge of the solar system with the James Webb Space Telescope find origin of life clues.

Tracks Spotted Across the Martian Landscape by NASA Orbiter Reveal a Red Planet “Curiosity”

Micah Hanks·April 25, 2025

New photos captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) reveal the first known imagery of the intrepid Curiosity rover in transit.

New Findings Cast Doubt on Spectral Evidence of Life on Distant Exoplanet K2-18b

Micah Hanks·April 25, 2025

New analysis casts doubt on potential biosignatures detected in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b that could indicate the presence of life.

Newly Analyzed Satellite Scans of the Deepest Lunar Craters Reveal ‘Chilling’ Results

Christopher Plain·April 25, 2025

Scientists taking a new look at the deepest lunar craters have found 'chilling' results that could dramatically affect future moon colonies.

Experimental Phoenix-1 Spacecraft Makes Successful Maiden Spaceflight

Christopher Plain·April 24, 2025

Commercial space carrier Atmos Space Cargo has announced the successful launch, orbit and reentry of its PHOENIX 1 spacecraft.

A Green Fireball Exploded Above Australia, Shocking Residents and Raising Questions

Ryan Whalen·April 24, 2025

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

Ryan Whalen·April 23, 2025

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

Ryan Whalen·April 23, 2025

A distant exoplanet is quickly disintegrating 140 light-years from Earth, spotted by MIT astronomers through NASA's TESS mission.

The NRO and the U.S. Space Force Just Conducted Another Secret Launch

Christopher Plain·April 23, 2025

On Sunday, the U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) conducted another secret launch of a classified payload.

NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Had a Weird Close Encounter During Recent Asteroid Flyby, New Images Reveal

Micah Hanks·April 22, 2025

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

Christopher Plain·April 22, 2025

A new analysis by UC Boulder geologists suggests the ancient Mars landscape was formed by falling precipitation, including rain and snow.

Strange Desert Markings Resembling “Mysterious Writing” Spotted by Cameras on the International Space Station

Micah Hanks·April 20, 2025

Strange markings that resemble writing were recently spotted in the Tunisian desert by cameras aboard the International Space Station.

Curiosity Uncovers Evidence of Ancient Martian Carbon Cycle That May Have Sustained Life

Ryan Whalen·April 19, 2025

NASA's Curiosity rover has found new evidence that Mars once had a working carbon cycle in its ancient past.

James Webb Space Telescope Breakthrough Reveals “Compelling” New Evidence of Long-Hidden Black Hole in Galaxy M83

Micah Hanks·April 18, 2025

Compelling evidence of a long-sought black hole at the center of the galaxy M83 has been unveiled using the James Webb Space Telescope.

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Is Investigating a Mysterious Dark Stone of “Uncertain” Origin

Micah Hanks·April 18, 2025

NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered a dark-colored stone with unusual features that “may have originated from elsewhere.”

New ‘Spinning Universe’ Theory Could Explain a Decades-Old Cosmological Mystery

Ryan Whalen·April 18, 2025

The entire universe may be rotating, like its individual parts do, potentially explaining the “Hubble tension,” which perplexes scientists.

International Space Station to Receive “Rock Star” Tool That Could Aid in Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·April 18, 2025

The International Space Station is preparing for the launch of ELVIS, a tool that could aid the search for extraterrestrial life

“New and Intriguing” Mars Discoveries Made by NASA’s Perseverance Rover are “All We Had Hoped for and More”

Ryan Whalen·April 18, 2025

Mars's Jezero Crater is offering scientists a treasure trove of intriguing new findings that may hide clues to the Martian past.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots the First Potential Signs of Life Outside our Solar System

Christopher Plain·April 17, 2025

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

Chrissy Newton·April 17, 2025

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.

‘Sunbird’ Nuclear Rocket Revealed in New Video Offers a Look at the Radical Future of Space Exploration

Micah Hanks·April 15, 2025

The future of interplanetary travel is looking brighter, thanks to the new Sunbird nuclear-powered rocket designed by Pulsar Fusion.

A Long-Dormant Supermassive Black Hole Has Awakened, and It’s Doing Something Extreme and Unusual

Ryan Whalen·April 15, 2025

A supermassive black hole that scientists have nicknamed "Ansky" is now awake after a long dormant period, emitting powerful X-ray flares. 

Historic All-Female Blue Origin Flight Draws Praise, Backlash Over Celebrity Focus and Safety Concerns

Chrissy Newton·April 14, 2025

The first all-female crewed spaceflight in over 60 years concluded safely on Monday as the Blue Origin NS-31 mission touched down.

James Webb Space Telescope Captures a Planet Being Consumed by Its Star for the First Time, with Unexpected Results

Ryan Whalen·April 12, 2025

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

Ryan Whalen·April 11, 2025

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

Avi Loeb·April 10, 2025

Call it cosmic Russian roulette: Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb outlines a possible cosmic doomsday scenario involving dark energy.

Life on Titan? Scientists Are Rethinking Whether Alien Life Could Thrive on Saturn’s Mysterious Icy Moon

Ryan Whalen·April 8, 2025

A new study challenges past optimism scientists have expressed about whether life could exist on Saturn's moon Titan.

“Fiendish” Martian Dust Devils Dancing on the Red Planet Engage in Cannibalism as NASA’s Perseverance Rover Looks On

Micah Hanks·April 8, 2025

New images captured by NASA's Perseverance rover reveals a Martian dust devil as it "cannibalizes" another of its kind.

In the Search for Extraterrestrial Life, This Surprising Result May Bring us Closer to a Groundbreaking Discovery

Ryan Whalen·April 7, 2025

"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

Ryan Whalen·April 7, 2025

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 

Ryan Whalen·April 5, 2025

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. 

Threat of War in Space Rises as U.S. General Outlines Plans to “Militarize” Low Earth Orbit

Christopher Plain·April 4, 2025

The possibility of the world's first war in space appears to be increasing after recent comments by the Chief of the U.S. Space Force.

Scientists Have Found Something on the Moon That Could Help Power Future Lunar Bases

Ryan Whalen·April 4, 2025

A moon dust based solar cell developed by German scientists may be the answer to powering a human lunar base with local resources.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots the “Dawn” of the Universe Becoming Transparent

Christopher Plain·April 3, 2025

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope to look back in time have found the earliest evidence of the universe becoming transparent.

Life on Mars? Hardy Lichen Offers New Clues After Thriving in Simulated Martian Hellscape

Ryan Whalen·April 2, 2025

Mars can host life, according to Polish researchers, after demonstrating lichen's survival under simulated Mars-like conditions. 

DARPA is Using Earth’s Atmosphere as a Sensor to Detect Secret Explosions and Spacecraft Reentries

Micah Hanks·April 2, 2025

DARPA is using Earth’s atmosphere as a powerful sensor, allowing the detection of events like rocket reentries and illicit detonations.

Miso in Microgravity: Fermented Flavor Takes Off Aboard the International Space Station

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·April 2, 2025

Astronauts made miso paste aboard the ISS to see if it would ferment similar to its Earth-based counterparts.