Earth's Place in the Universe
- Earth
Scientists Say: Caldera
These gigantic craters form when a volcanic eruption empties magma chambers underneath, allowing the mountain to crumble into the void.
- Space
A nearby star system is likely sending lots of comets our way
This Alpha Centauri system loses comets and dust particles, but it produces only about 10 of the several trillion meteors that Earth sees each year.
- Space
Scientists Say: Interstellar medium
Radiant energy and primordial space dust span the vast reaches between star systems.
- Chemistry
Micro-sparks between water droplets may have started life on Earth
This micro-lightning can drive chemical reactions that produce compounds needed for the natural formation of life on Earth, experiments show.
- 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.
- Planets
So many wondrous moons — just a spaceship ride away
Scientists are studying extraterrestrial moons for clues to how planets form, how life began — and whether there’s life out there right now.
- Space
Ancient black holes might solve the mystery of dark matter
Studies of gravitational waves, stars and other features of the universe could reveal whether such “primordial” black holes exist.
- 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.
- Planets
Scientists Say: Regolith
This sandlike dust blankets planets, asteroids and other rocky surfaces of our solar system, including our own planet.
- Space
The biggest discoveries of Voyagers — NASA’s most distant explorers
Voyager 1 and 2 left Earth in 1977 to fly by the outer planets. Nearly 50 years later, these spacecraft are still transforming our knowledge of space.
- Space
Let’s learn about the International Space Station
Astronauts on the space station have gathered data on everything from climate change to dark matter.
