Space
- Space
Megastars shredded by black holes offer new type of cosmic explosion
Called extreme nuclear transients, these events are 30 to 1,000 times as bright as supernovas — and their glow may persist for a year or more.
- Space
Scientists Say: Lagrange point
Between and around a two-body system — such as the Earth and sun — there are five points of prime celestial real estate.
- Planets
Here’s how future Martians might take their first breaths
Mars would need an atmosphere thick enough to hold heat and with enough oxygen for people to breathe. This is how we might terraform Mars.
- Planets
The surface of Venus is morphing
Circular landforms speckling Venus' surface may be the work of tectonics — similar to the forces that reshape Earth’s surface.
- Space
A rogue black hole is on the loose in our galaxy
Astronomers now agree there’s a lone black hole wandering around the Milky Way — the first solitary black hole ever detected.
- Planets
Perseverance took the first picture of a visible aurora on Mars
A faint yet visible aurora has been spotted on Mars. It’s the first such light show seen from another planet's surface.
- Physics
Can a supervillain destroy the sun?
Although our sun is a dwarf yellow star, it’s more than massive enough to weather any attempts to alter it — super or otherwise.
- Space
A passing star could fling Earth out of orbit — or into the sun
Computer models show that a star's tug could send Mercury, Venus or Mars crashing into Earth — or let Jupiter eject our world from the solar system.
- Space
Scientists Say: Quasi-satellite
Unlike a true satellite, these tagalongs orbit outside a planet’s primary sphere of gravitational control.
- Planets
A giant, busted planet fuels a nebula’s mysterious glow
This Helix Nebula is like a colorful explosion frozen in time. Its center seems to be steadily radiating X-rays.
- 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.
- Plants
Magnets mimic gravity’s guiding hand for plants growing in space
Without constant gravity, plants waste energy twisting and coiling, trying to reach toward the sun. Teen ISEF finalists might have found a solution.
