1–20 of 28 results
Pandora's Cluster of galaxies

Cosmology

Webb Telescope Finds Dwarf Galaxies Lit Up the Early Universe

Faint, small galaxies ionized the opaque fog that obscured the early universe.

An artist's representation of the six-planet system on black with multi-color geometrical pattern in the background

Exoplanets

Six Sub-Neptunes Discovered 100 Light-Years Away

Astronomers have uncovered six sub-Neptune exoplanets dancing in lock-step around the same distant star, shedding light on their formation.

Planet-forming disks

Exoplanets

Webb Shows Planets Really Do Start with Pebbles

New observations have turned up evidence that icy pebbles deliver the water to inner regions of planet-forming disks.

Solar System

New Forecast Resets Solar Cycle Expectations

A new forecast suggests that sunspot numbers, aurorae, and other solar activity will peak sooner and at a higher level than expected.

Fast radio burst illustration

Stellar Science

Radio Burst Breaks Distance Record, Challenges Theories

A highly energetic fast radio burst, which broke the distance record, provides a crucial test for theories of these events' origins.

Cosmology

In a First, Astronomers Directly Image the Cosmic Web

Astronomers have directly imaged emission from the cosmic web, the filamentary structure that underlies the universe.

Diagram showing lensing of quasar light by foreground galaxy and intergalactic dark matter

Cosmology

Dark Matter Clumps Float Between Galaxies, Data Shows

Astronomers have found clumps of dark matter 30,000 light-years wide in the space between galaxies in the distant universe.

Tracing mud cracks on Mars

Solar System

What Mud Cracks Mean for Life on Mars

Mud cracks are evidence for sustained wet-dry cycles on ancient Mars, which might have provided conditions amenable to life (with caveats).

Three red smudges could be distant galaxies or dark stars

Cosmology

Some Astronomers Claim Dark Star Candidates in Webb Images

Three distant galaxies imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope might actually be "dark stars" powered by dark matter annihilation, claims a team of astronomers.

Maaz

Space Missions

Perseverance Finds Complex Organics (Not Life) on Mars

NASA's Perseverance has sniffed 10 rock samples and found signatures of organic molecules, a sign of a complex geochemical past.

a black dot against a grey background with two white lines on either side

Astronomy and Society

NASA Panel Talks Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena

NASA has held its first public meeting with its panel investigating Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. The panel will publish a full report in July.

Galaxies

Distorted Galaxy Hints at the Nature of Dark Matter

Astronomers analyzed the gravitationally lensed image of a distant galaxy to test the nature of dark matter.

Black field spotted with galaxies

Cosmology

What the Discovery of Massive Early Galaxies Could Mean for Cosmology

JWST's detection of early galaxies that are far more massive than astronomers had expected could mean we need to rewrite our understanding of the cosmos.

Portrayal of 'Oumuamua (1I/2017 U1)

Solar System

The Odd Behavior of Interstellar Object 'Oumuamua, Explained

It wasn't aliens after all — an astrochemist and an astronomer have teamed up to explain why the interstellar object 1I/'Oumuamua behaved the way it did.

Cutaway diagram of protoplanetary disk, which flares out away from star

Exoplanets

Water on Earth Might Predate the Solar System

Astronomers studying the water vapor around a newborn star find that it’s chemically similar to ice in solar system comets, a possible source of Earth’s oceans.

rainbow with black lines marking where different atoms have absorbed wavelengths of light

Solar System

What Is the Sun Made Of? New Data Deepens Debate

New data from a detector tucked under a mountain in Italy has shed light on what's inside the Sun.

Black field spotted with galaxies marks the JADES field

Galaxies

Webb's Galactic Distance Record Is Now Official

Spectroscopic measurements confirm Webb's distance record, with images revealing galaxies that existed just 330 million years after the Big Bang.

Radar examples

Solar System

Arecibo Legacy: New Data on Near-Earth Asteroids

The largest set of radar data for near-Earth asteroids will help us understand their origins and protect Earth from future impacts.

Map of stellar corpses throughout the galaxy

Stellar Science

Astronomers Map the Milky Way's "Underworld"

A simulated map of the Milky Way shows the location of our galaxy's stellar corpses — and they're not where you might think they'd be.

Betelgeuse lightcurve with artist's concept of mass ejection

Stellar Science

Betelgeuse's Great Dimming: The Aftermath

The Great Dimming occurred when Betelgeuse coughed out a huge chunk of material, and the ejection took a toll on the giant star.

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