Space

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A view of the gas in the Magellanic System as it would appear in the night sky.

This hot 'stream' of star gas will collide with our galaxy sooner than we thought

By Brandon Specktor published

Researchers rewound the history of the Magellanic Stream, and found it is 5 times closer to Earth that previously thought

Illustration of a permanent lunar base by the European Space Agency

NASA wants to put a nuclear power plant on the moon by 2030 — and you can help

By Brandon Specktor published

NASA and the Department of Energy hope to put a nuclear fission reactor on the moon by 2030, and they need your help.

A UFO hovers over a forest

How would we give aliens directions to Earth?

By Joanna Thompson published

Giving aliens directions to Earth might be tricky, but scientists have some ideas for how to do it.

The Prawn Nebula (IC 4628) is a massive stellar nursery located about 6,000 light-years from Earth.

Hubble telescope captures stunning image of the star-forming Prawn Nebula

By Samantha Mathewson published

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning view of the Prawn Nebula floating through deep space.

Seven Earthlike planets make up the TRAPPIST-1 solar system.

TRAPPIST-1 solar system that's home to potentially habitable planets was not bombarded by rocks like early Earth

By Tereza Pultarova published

Earthlike planets that dance in sync around a nearby dim star couldn't have been bombarded by space rocks in their early formative years like our planet was, a study suggests.

An illustration of rocky debris around a white dwarf.

Never-before-seen rocks found in these exoplanet graveyards

By Harry Baker published

Researchers studying the atmospheres of white dwarfs have discovered previously unknown rock types which made up the exoplanets that once surrounded the stellar remnants.

A concept image of alien organisms above Mars.

Alien organisms could hitch a ride on our spacecraft and contaminate Earth, scientists warn

By Patrick Pester published

Scientists warn that increased space exploration raises the risk that alien organisms will invade Earth and that Earth organisms will invade other planets.

Heads up, Didymos! The asteroid-smashing DART mission is on its way.

NASA's asteroid-deflecting DART mission just launched on a one-way trip to collide with a space rock

By Mindy Weisberger published

The DART spacecraft launched this morning on its mission to the binary asteroid Didymos, where it will collide with the space rock for science.

This NASA graphic depicts the amount of space junk currently orbiting Earth. The debris field is based on data from NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office. Image released on May 1, 2013.

Russian anti-satellite missile test draws condemnation from space companies and countries

By Chelsea Gohd published

Across the globe, nations and space companies alike are speaking out about Russia's anti-satellite (ASAT) test that forced astronauts in space to take cover.

NASA's Perseverance rover, which is searching signs of ancient life on Mars.

'False fossils' littered across Mars may complicate the search for life on Red Planet

By Harry Baker published

Researchers warn that there are dozens of potential false biosignatures on Mars that could hinder the search for alien life.

An illustration of the James Webb Space Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope: Origins, design and mission objectives

By Andrew May published

Reference NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will be the most powerful in history, giving us the deepest ever view into space.

Reference
Artist's illustration of a supermassive black hole emitting a jet of energetic particles. Such black holes are also strong emitters of X-ray light, which is apparently reflected off gas and dust in the surrounding accretion disk..

How many black holes are there in the universe?

By Paul Sutter published

In a recent study, researchers determined that about 1% of all the "normal" (that is, not dark) matter in the universe is bound up inside black holes.

The Beaver Full Moon is seen partially obscured by Earth's shadow during the near-total partial lunar eclipse of Nov. 19, 2021 as seen through a telescope from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California.

Watch the entire Beaver Moon lunar eclipse in 1 minute time-lapse

By Elizabeth Howell published

It was the longest partial eclipse in 580 years.

The Hera mission will arrive at Didymos two years after DART's impact.

NASA's DART mission has a sequel. How Europe's HERA will explore an asteroid impact aftermath.

By Tereza Pultarova published

The Hera mission will follow NASA's DART asteroid-deflecting spacecraft to the binary space rock Didymos and detail the aftermath of DART's collision with the smaller of the two asteroids.

Blue laser light used by one of the experiments to detect the increased transparency of the gas.

Weird quantum effect that can turn matter invisible finally demonstrated

By Ben Turner published

The effect, called Pauli blocking, has been predicted for 30 years. Scientists just proved it for the first time.

Partial lunar eclipse from China

Stunning photos of the longest partial lunar eclipse of the century

By Laura Geggel published

Photographers worldwide snapped shots as Earth's shadow took a bite out of the moon.

Illustration of NASA's DART spacecraft and the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) LICIACube prior to impact at the Didymos binary system.

NASA's launching a one-way mission to crash into an asteroid: Here's how to watch.

By Mindy Weisberger published

When NASA launches the DART mission on Nov. 24, the spacecraft will embark on a months-long journey toward a distant asteroid target.

An artist's impression of the Milky Way's center, using data from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope.

Astronomers discover enormous 'barrier' separating the center of the Milky Way from the cosmic ray sea

By Brandon Specktor published

Scientists studying cosmic rays near the galaxy's center discovered a strange 'barrier' keeping the fast-moving rays from entering the Milky Way's middle.

A girl with a telescope watches a lunar eclipse.

Here's how to watch the longest partial lunar eclipse of the century live or online

By Laura Geggel published

Here's how to see the partial lunar eclipse early Friday morning (Nov. 19) in person or online.

Research suggests there could be water on Mars.

Is there water on Mars?

By Dr. James Horton published

Reference Orbiters and rovers have found evidence of water on Mars in the planet's past, and signatures of a lingering watery present even today.

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