SUNSET: 
Atomic Oxygen Detected on Venus
New data provide direct evidence for the existence of atomic oxygen in Venus's upper atmosphere, enabling new science on our sister planet.
How Did Two Hot and Super-dense Neptunes Form?
Astronomers have discovered two Neptune-size planets that are denser than rock and in searingly close orbits to their star. How did these odd worlds form?
Another Early-Universe Mystery: JWST Spies Dust at Cosmic Dawn
Dust is usually the product of generations of star formation. So what is all this dust doing in the early universe, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang?
Webb Telescope Tracks Universe's First Light
New results from the James Webb Space Telescope find that radiation from ordinary galaxies cleared the primordial haze left over from the Big Bang, allowing the first light to shine through the early universe.
Does This Star Cluster Host a Black Hole in Its Core?
The well-known star cluster Messier 4 might have an elusive, midsize black hole hidden at its center, but the evidence isn’t conclusive yet.
The James Webb Space Telescope May Have Spotted a Baby Galaxy Merger
New JWST images reveal that one of the most distant objects ever observed is actually two baby galaxies on a possible collision course.
The Moon Deimos Might Be a Piece of Mars
Surprising new results from the United Arab Emirates' Hope probe call the origin of Mars's smaller moon into question.
Giant Planets Around Small Stars
Leading theories say giant planets shouldn’t be able to form around very low-mass stars. But a new study finds that, nevertheless, they do.
New Planets in the Neighborhood
A planet-hunting consortium is marking five successful years by releasing data on more than 50 worlds.
Webb Telescope Surveys a Hot Saturn
A collection of five research studies delve into the atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-39b as astronomers seek to better understand the chemistry of a world beyond the solar system.
Tentative Evidence of the First Generation of Stars
Scientists have detected something unusual around a distant quasar — perhaps the first real evidence of a first-generation star.
Thin Red Lines: Webb Space Telescope Captures Star Creation on Grand Scale
New imagery from the James Webb Space Telescope shows a nearby galaxy in a whole new light.
Radio “Heartbeat” Teases Fast Radio Burst Origins
Scientists have observed pulses from a fast radio burst, suggesting the flash might have come from a neutron star.
Scientists Wonder: Is the Origin of Life Extraterrestrial?
A new analysis method has revealed DNA building blocks in meteorites, suggesting that these prebiotic molecules might have formed during the solar system's earliest years.
Floofy Objects and Other Tales of Astronomical Impossibility
Astronomers aren't holding back this year, with brand-new submissions to this year's highly prestigious (and fictitious) Acta Prima Aprilia.
The History of Venus in Air, Rock, and Water
Forty years ago, NASA's Magellan mission “closed the book” on Venus. Now, a new generation of astronomers think the planet next door deserves a second chance.
Exoplanet Hunter Racks up 5,000 “Objects of Interest”
Since its 2018 launch, the unassuming TESS satellite has found 175 confirmed exoplanets (so far) among 5,000 “objects of interest.”
No Release for the Hubble Tension
New data and analysis show that a long-standing discrepancy in the measurement of the current expansion rate of the universe is real — even as the reason for it remains a mystery.
Infant “Hot Neptune” Provides Clues to Its Birth
How’d a nice young ice giant end up in such a hot orbit? Scientists investigate the mysterious exoplanet AU Microscopii b.
New Kind of Supernova Implodes Stars Before Their Time
Astronomers have found the first circumstantial evidence for a supernova triggered by a merger with a neutron star or maybe even a black hole.
