The universe is slightly hotter than it should be. 'Dark photons' could be to blame. By Paul Sutter published 29 January 23 Intergalactic gas clouds are slightly hotter than they should be, new research claims, and theoretical particles called 'dark photons' could explain it.
NASA spies Martian rocks that look just like a teddy bear By Brandon Specktor published 26 January 23 A broken hill, an ancient crater and the human tendency to find faces everywhere may explain the teddy bear on Mars.
Eerily perfect galaxy-shaped spiral appears over Hawaii. What is it? By Harry Baker published 26 January 23 A mysterious "whirlpool" of light temporarily shone in the night sky above Hawaii's Mauna Kea. Experts think it was linked to a SpaceX launch.
Asteroid set to make 'extraordinarily close' approach to Earth tonight. Here's how to watch. By Stephanie Pappas published 26 January 23 Asteroid 2023 BU will be closest to Earth on Thursday (Jan. 26) at 7:27 p.m. EST (2127 GMT).
Real-life 'Terminator 2' robot can melt to escape jail, then solidify on command By Ben Turner published 25 January 23 The robot uses magnetic induction to heat itself up and transform into a liquid
NASA to test nuclear rocket engine that could take humans to Mars in 45 days By Ben Turner published 25 January 23 This is the first time a nuclear powered engine has been tested in fifty years
Optical illusion gives rare green comet an ‘anti-tail’ that seemingly defies physics By Harry Baker published 25 January 23 C/2022 E3 (ZTF), a comet that has recently made headlines as it flies closer to Earth, briefly developed an ethereal third tail thanks to a weird optical illusion.
The James Webb Telescope detected the coldest ice in the known universe – and it contains the building blocks of life By JoAnna Wendel published 24 January 23 The James Webb Space Telescope's latest observations of icy molecules will help scientists understand how habitable planets form.
South Korea's lunar orbiter unveils jaw-dropping images of Earth and the moon By Brandon Specktor published 24 January 23 The Danuri spacecraft arrived in lunar orbit in Dec. 2022, and its first image dump is out of this world.
Deep space 'hurricanes' could point the way to alien worlds By Stefanie Waldek published 24 January 23 When new planets form in distant solar systems, they carve out 'hurricanes' and 'vortices' in the surrounding dust that could lead astronomers straight to them.
Primordial asteroids are like giant space pillows and could be harder to destroy than previously thought By Ben Turner published 23 January 23 The asteroid has survived in space for nearly as long as the solar system has existed
Stunning images capture the moment a green comet's tail is blasted away by the sun By Brandon Specktor published 23 January 23 An amateur astronomer witnessed the moment that the green comet C/2022 E3 had part of its tail blasted away by a coronal mass ejection.
Mysterious 'sparks' on the sun could help scientists predict solar flares By JoAnna Wendel published 22 January 23 An analysis of eight years of data reveals a possible telltale sign that a region of the sun is about to erupt.
Radio signal from 8 billion light-years away could reveal the secrets of the universe's 'dark age' By Ben Turner published 20 January 23 Astronomers detected a radio signal from deeper in space than ever before, using a cosmic trick first predicted by Einstein.
Astronomers weighed the Milky Way, and found huge amounts of matter missing By Briley Lewis published 20 January 23 Mysterious fast radio bursts (FRBs) helped astronomers weigh our galaxy, and reveal that some matter is missing.
Is the sun a node in a gigantic alien space internet? Scientists scanned the skies to check. By Adam Mann published 20 January 23 Through a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing, aliens could be transmitting signals using the sun, but a quick scan for such signals has turned up nothing.
Alien life could be turning harsh planets into paradises — and astronomers want to find them By Paul Sutter published 19 January 23 Early life made an inhospitable Earth more habitable, and aliens could be doing the same thing on their worlds, new research proposes.
Green comet C/2022 E3: How to view the rare, Stone Age visitor from deep space By Brandon Specktor published 19 January 23 The green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will make a close approach to Earth on Feb. 1 before sailing off into deep space for millions of years.
Beginners guide to astrophotography By Kimberley Lane published 19 January 23 Shoot for the stars with our beginners guide to astrophotography.
Powerful laser blast used to control lightning for the first time By Ben Turner published 18 January 23 This is the first ever real-world demonstration of the effect
