All Stories by Lisa Grossman
- Space
A small object beyond Pluto may have a thin atmosphere
A brief stellar eclipse hints that this 2002 XV93 has a thin atmosphere. It would be a first for any solar-system body farther from the sun than Pluto.
- Space
NASA’s DART spacecraft changed 2 asteroids’ orbit around the sun
In 2022, NASA smashed a spacecraft into an asteroid. New data show how that impact changed the orbit around the sun of this space rock — and its partner.
- Space
Artemis II just made a historic loop around the moon
The astronauts had a front-row view of the lunar farside and the first eclipse ever seen from the moon.
- Space
The Vera Rubin Observatory is set to revolutionize astronomy
Equipped with the world’s largest digital camera, this new telescope is poised to help solve some of the universe’s biggest mysteries.
- Planets
Pluto and its moon Charon may have paired up with a kiss
After about 30 hours of contact, Charon could have separated from Pluto and drifted into its current orbit.
- Planets
A distant crumbling planet spills its guts
Based on the light being emitted by its shed minerals, astronomers can for the first time determine the internal composition of an exoplanet.
- Space
Jane Rigby helped make the James Webb telescope a superstar
The senior project scientist for the JWST, Rigby believes being part of the LGBTQ+ community has made her a better astronomer.
- Space
This zombie star’s spiky filaments are baffling astronomers
The star's odd tendrils were somehow formed by a supernova that skywatchers saw way back in 1181.
- Earth
It’s electric! Long-sought new field found in Earth’s atmosphere
This ambipolar electric field is weak. Yet it’s still strong enough to control the evolution of Earth’s upper atmosphere — and maybe life as we know it.
- Artificial Intelligence
Two AI trailblazers win the 2024 Nobel Prize in physics
John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton used brain-like networks based on principles of physics to jump-start machine learning.
- Planets
‘Percy,’ NASA’s rover, finds its first hint of ancient life on Mars
The robot examined a Mars rock containing organic compounds and “leopard spots.” On Earth, such spots usually come from microbial life.
- Space
Here’s why some shooting stars have long-lasting afterglows
Atmospheric chemistry is the most important factor in determining which meteors leave behind these persistent trails.
