Space

  1. Astronomy

    Astronomers call for renaming the Magellanic Clouds

    Explorer Ferdinand Magellan is not a fitting namesake for the pair of satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, a group of scientists argues.

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  2. Space

    NASA’s OSIRIS-REx has returned bits of the asteroid Bennu to Earth

    Asteroid dirt from Bennu could help reveal clues about the material that came together to make the solar system — and possibly where life comes from.

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  3. Planetary Science

    How drones are helping scientists find meteorites

    Searching for fallen space rocks is labor intensive. A team of researchers in Australia is speeding things up with drones and machine learning.

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  4. Space

    Clara Sousa-Silva seeks molecular signatures of life in alien atmospheres

    Quantum astrochemist Clara Sousa-Silva studies how molecules in space interact with light, offering clues to what distant objects are made of.

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  5. Physics

    Scientists have two ways to spot gravitational waves. Here are some other ideas

    From lasers in space to falling atoms on Earth, researchers are cooking up ways to sense gravitational waves that current methods can’t detect.

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  6. Planetary Science

    Flashes in Venus’ atmosphere might be meteors, not lightning

    With upcoming missions planned for Venus, scientists are eager to figure out the origin of the mysterious flashes.

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  7. Astronomy

    Active supermassive black holes may be rarer than previously thought

    A dearth of rapidly growing black holes in new James Webb telescope data raises questions about how these behemoths grow and influence their galaxies.

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  8. Space

    India’s successful moon landing follows recent failures by other countries

    The Chandrayaan-3 mission delivered a lander and rover to the moon. Attempts by other countries this year show that getting there is still a challenge.

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  9. Astronomy

    This extreme star might have huge tidal waves

    Gravitational forces between two orbiting stars might be creating huge waves of plasma on one of the stars that break and crash to the surface.

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  10. Astronomy

    JWST’s hunt for distant galaxies keeps turning up surprises

    In its first year, the James Webb Space Telescope has found many galaxies from the early universe that are bigger, brighter and more mature than expected.

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  11. Space

    Recoiling black holes could move at nearly one-tenth the speed of light

    Knowing black holes’ speed after being kicked by gravitational waves can reveal how much energy converging black holes can release.

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  12. Astronomy

    Meet Jane Rigby, senior project scientist for JWST and advocate for LGBTQ+ astronomers

    Rigby, senior project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, believes being part of the LGBTQ+ community has made her a better astronomer.

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