Latest articles by Mark Thompson
Our solar system's asteroid belt is slowly disappearing
A new analysis estimates that the asteroid belt is steadily losing mass each year, and may not be as permanent a feature of the solar system as we thought.
Scientists spot a baby planet being born in real time (photo)
Astronomers have spotted telltale signs of a new planet actively growing out of the fog of gas and dust that surrounds it.
There's a 90% chance we'll see a black hole explode within a decade, physicists say
How often do black holes explode? New research refines old calculations, hinting that black hole explosions may be a once-in-a-decade occurence.
Chinese scientists hunt for alien radio signals in 'potentially habitable' TRAPPIST-1 system
Researchers in China have conducted the most thorough search yet for alien radio signals in the nearby TRAPPIST-1 system, which may harbor potentially Earth-like planets.
Apollo astronauts discovered the moon is covered in tiny orange glass beads. Now we finally know why.
Tiny, orange glass beads discovered on the moon during the Apollo era may reveal an untold history of lunar volcanism.
Monster black hole M87 is spinning at 80% of the cosmic speed limit — and pulling in matter even faster
The famous black hole M87 keeps surprising us. New research calculates its spin speed to be at 80% of the theoretical limit, with matter falling into its maw even faster.
