Astronomy

Astronomy

Earth-like exoplanet
Some fascinating observations of K2-18b have come along with horrendous, speculative communications. There's no evidence for oceans or life.
A diagram of the solar system with the sun, earth, and uranus.
How can you maximize the amount of love and happiness in your life? One of history's greatest scientists found the answer: with math.
mars oceans
Chemical changes inside Mars' core caused it to lose its magnetic field. This, in turn, caused it to lose its oceans. But how?
most distant gravitational lens
A more distant galaxy liked the lens so much that it went and put a ring on it. Here's the science behind this remarkable cosmic object.
An artist's rendering of the earth and a spacecraft in space.
This measurement is crucial to confirm that one of the assumptions of Einstein’s theory of gravity is valid.
cosmic inflation big bang dark ages
The hot Big Bang was an energetic, brilliantly luminous event. Today's Universe is alight with stars. But in between, the dark ages ruled.
NASA Fermi LAT pulsar gamma ray sky
An enormous amount of antimatter is coming from our galactic center. But the culprit probably isn't dark matter, but merely neutron stars.
An artist's impression of a group of planets in space detected via the doppler method.
Finding a tiny planet around bright stars dozens or hundreds of light-years from Earth is extremely difficult.
galaxy cluster PLCK G165.7+67.0 triply lensed supernova
Named "Supernova H0pe," it shows how JWST plus gravitational lensing can be used to solve the greatest puzzle facing astronomy today.
Nasa's nasa spacecraft observing annular eclipse.
An annular eclipse is coming to Earth on October 14, 2023. Six months later, a total solar eclipse is headed our way. Here's the reason why.
spiral galaxies MIRI PHANGS JWST
How does star-formation, occurring in small regions within galaxies, affect the entire host galaxy that contains it? JWST holds the answers.
Two starfish on the beach at sunset.
Scientists may have detected the somewhat smelly chemical dimethyl sulfide on a planet 120 light-years from Earth.
quantum gravity
Dark matter hasn't been directly detected, but some form of invisible matter is clearly gravitating. Could the graviton hold the answer?
An image of a snowflake on a black background, showcasing its scientific intricacies and ethereal beauty.
When science is a source of spirituality in people’s lives, they feel happy and engaged.
baryon acoustic oscillations
A spherical structure nearly one billion light-years wide has been spotted in the nearby Universe, dating all the way back to the Big Bang.
SN 1987a JWST
In 1987, the closest supernova directly observed in nearly 400 years occurred. Will a pulsar arise from those ashes? JWST offers clues.
An artist's impression of an asteroid approaching the earth.
The asteroid is expected to come within 140,000 miles of Earth — well inside the moon’s orbit.
A portrait of a man in a red coat, hinting at Copernicanism through symbolism.
Looking at our planet with post-Copernican eyes has the power to change how we relate to it and each other.
field of streams milky way tidal dwarf
The biggest, brightest galaxies are the easiest to spot, but the tiniest ones teach us about how the Milky Way assembled and grew up!
A clock, believed to be the first in America, showcased beside a book.
A clock, designed and built in Europe, ran hopelessly at the wrong rate when brought to America. The physics of gravity explains why.
ring nebula hubble jwst nircam miri
The "Ring Nebula," known for almost 250 years, is so much more than a Ring. With JWST's capabilities, we're seeing more than ever before.
A Copernican-inspired map of the world showcasing a central globe.
Despite the vast number of planets in the Universe, Earth's specific evolutionary history guarantees that its life forms — including humans — are utterly unique.
Edwin Hubble and Andromeda galaxy
The first observational evidence showing the Universe is expanding is 100 years old now: in 2023. Here's the story of its 100th anniversary.
NGC 5584 cepheid hubble
How fast is the Universe expanding? Two major methods disagree. New JWST data, just released, strengthens this Hubble tension even further.
An artist's rendering of a spacecraft near an asteroid.
Whether you call it 10 quintillion, 10 million trillion, or 10 billion billion, it's a 1 followed by 19 zeroes.
Gamma rays in the milky way.
As Marcel Proust said, “The real voyage of discovery... consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
A black hole in space with a planet in the middle.
How scientists are hearing the gravitational background "hum" of the Universe for the very first time.
gaia ESA milky way
Einstein's laws of gravity have been challenged many times, but have always emerged victorious. Could wide binary stars change all that?
Earth-like exoplanet
Each of our three nearest stars might have an Earth-like planet in orbit around it. Here's what we'll learn when we finally observe it.
el gordo JWST rotated cropped
From when its light was emitted, the El Gordo galaxy cluster might be the most massive object in all of existence. Here's how JWST sees it.