Sharmila Kuthunur

A decade of observations of four planets around the young planetary system V1298 Tau revealed a rare, long-sought missing link in planet formation.

NASA's SPHEREx telescope unveiled its first full-sky map of the universe, combining more than 100 infrared observations into one dazzling mosaic.

Scientists discover 26 new bacterial species in NASA cleanrooms, revealing surprisingly resilient microbes with potential uses in biotechnology and medicine.

A double explosion, in which a dying star split, then recombined, may be a long-hypothesized but never-before-seen "superkilonova."

Astronomers traced a mysterious 'scar' of ionized gas around the solar system to two stars that had a close flyby with our sun millions of years ago.

Earth may have a moon today because a nearby neighbor once crashed into us, a new analysis of Apollo samples and terrestrial rocks reveals.

Two new peer-reviewed papers claim thousands of unexplained light flashes in vintage Palomar telescope images show statistical ties to nuclear tests and UFO reports. Not everyone agrees with the paper's conclusion.

Astronomers have found signs that the small icy world Chiron, orbiting between Saturn and Uranus, may be forming a new ring system in near-real time.

A faint radio "whisper" from ancient hydrogen reveals the universe was heating up long before it filled with starlight.

"If there is a space race, China's already winning it, and could win it dramatically in the next few decades."

For the first time, astronomers have directly measured a solar-system-size corona around a distant supermassive black hole, thanks to a rare cosmic alignment.

In 2029, asteroid Apophis will skim safely past Earth, where it will be visible to billions. For scientists, it's a once-in-a-millennium planetary experiment.

Astronomers spot a rare stellar bridge in Abell 3667, revealing an aggressive galaxy merger and new clues about dark matter.

A rare "space hurricane" that swirled over Earth's North Pole in 2014 caused intense space weather effects despite unusually quiet solar conditions, a new study reports.

High-speed winds on exoplanet WASP-17b may align quartz crystals in its atmosphere and create dazzling light effects like "sun dogs."

The James Webb Space Telescope has notched another milestone, capturing a direct image of one of the coldest and oldest known exoplanets.

New James Webb Space Telescope data reveal Pluto's high-altitude haze is a key driver of the climate on the dwarf planet, offering clues to Earth's ancient atmosphere.

Astronomers have discovered a new class of bright, long-lasting cosmic explosions that offer a new probe into studying the universe's most distant black holes.

A neutron star's final moments may spark violent starquakes, monster shock waves, and even a fleeting, never-before-seen object called a black hole pulsar.

After nearly a decade in orbit, NASA's MAVEN spacecraft has, for the first time, directly observed the process that scientists had long suspected was responsible for stripping Mars of its atmosphere.

The discovery of water ice around a distant star is allowing scientists to study how the key ingredient for life is delivered to young planets beyond our solar system.

New research strengthens the case that Venus, long considered a geologically stagnant world, may be more Earth-like in its internal dynamics than once believed.

NASA's massive super-pressure balloon has completed a 16-day trip around the Southern Hemisphere — a milestone in high-altitude flight and atmospheric research.

ALMA observations of carbon monoxide emission from 15 protoplanetary disks reveal a stunning variety of gas structures, including gaps, rings and spirals.

The discovery of Eos, the closest known molecular cloud to Earth and one of the largest structures in the night sky, hints at the presence of many previously unseen clouds throughout the galaxy.