Space
- Planets
Mars’ rust suggests it was once wet — and its seas frigid
Mars may once have held enough water to fill oceans and form coastlines. And the planet’s red dust hints that its seas would have been quite frigid.
- Physics
Much of the sun’s light is green. Why does it look yellow?
Sunlight's peak intensity is at a green wavelength. Here’s why it doesn’t appear that way to us.
- Space
The universe: How will it end?
The Big Bang likely brought our universe into existence. What will mark its grand finale? Scientists blend imagination and data to make predictions.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Nucleosynthesis
For this nuclei-forging cosmic process, the Big Bang was just a way to get started.
- 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
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.
- Planets
Scientists Say: Regolith
This sandlike dust blankets planets, asteroids and other rocky surfaces of our solar system, including our own planet.
- 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.
- 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.
