Space
- Planets
Heavenly research
Groundbreaking research in astronomy landed four high school seniors spots as finalists in the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search.
- Space
Dead star makes a lens for its companion
Much like the lens on a camera, the intense gravity of a newfound white dwarf bends light. In this case, it is distorting light emitted by the star it orbits.
- Chemistry
Urine may make Mars travel possible
On Earth, urine is a waste. En route to Mars, it could be a precious renewable commodity: the source of drinking water and energy.
- Space
A ‘wedding ring’ in space
An unusually circular gas remnant of a dead star appears behind a star that’s still burning bright. When viewed from Earth, the pair resembles a sparkling diamond ring.
- Planets
Surprising rings circle comet-asteroid hybrid
It’s too small to be a planet. Yet this planet wannabe still resembles Saturn-like giants. It’s the smallest solar system inhabitant to, like them, host rings of orbiting ice.
- Space
Waves from the birth of time
Inflation is the idea that in the split-second after the Big Bang, the universe exploded into huge-ness. Although the hypothesis is 30 years old, evidence to confirm it had been lacking. Until now.
- Space
Galaxy drags trail of newborn stars
Distant galaxy plows through cluster of others, with baby stars in tow
- Space
Star cluster rockets through space
It’s the first time astronomers have ever detected a cluster of stars moving collectively at such speed.
- Animals
We are stardust
Everything making up Earth and what’s now living upon it — from trees and people to our pets and their fleas — owes their origins to the elements forged by ancient stars.
- Planets
New evidence of a wet Mars
Ten years in to its tour of Mars, the Opportunity rover finds another place on the Red Planet that once might have hosted water.
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- Space
Galaxies stash mass in clouds of gas
Astronomers may have finally figured out why predictions of the amount of matter in the universe don’t match observations. A huge amount may hide in the gas clouds that surround galaxies.
