1–20 of 22 results
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

Spacecraft and 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.

Occator Crater on Ceres

Solar System

Asteroid Ceres Was Radioactive — and That Could Explain a Lot

Radioactive heating in this asteroid's early days may have destabilized the small world, creating asymmetric surface features.

Artist's impression of black hole binary

Black Holes

A Black Hole Lurks in a Galaxy Near Our Own

Astronomers have found a dormant black hole orbiting a massive blue star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.

a black dot at the center of a swirl of pink, purple, orange, grey, and other colors

Black Holes

Have We Found the First Rogue Black Hole in the Milky Way?

Hubble observations have revealed a stellar-mass compact object — a black hole or possibly a neutron star — wandering our galaxy.

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

Solar System

Mystery of the Sun's Chemical Makeup Lingers

Astronomers think they might have a solution to the conundrum of the Sun's chemical composition.

Europa's cracked-ice surface

Solar System

Icy Moon Europa May Host Water Near the Surface

Radar measurements of ice on Earth suggest that Jupiter's moon Europa might host water near its surface.

Neptune

Solar System

Summer on Neptune is Surprisingly Chilly

Even though Neptune is entering its version of summer, it's actually cooling down — except for its poles, which are mysteriously warming up.

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