Space

Editor's Picks

an illustration showing the hypothetical Planet 9 with blue rings and a question mark over it, with stars and a galaxy in the background
Planet Nine: Is the search for this elusive world nearly over? Astronomers have been scouring the outer solar system for signs of a hypothetical ninth planet for almost a decade, without success. However, we may finally be on the cusp of finding it, experts say.
Each bright spot in this image, the first all-sky image by eRosita, is black hole or a neutron star.
5 space discoveries that scientists are struggling to explain From "runaway" black holes shooting across the cosmos to secret planets in our own backyard, space is overrun with mysterious objects that scientists are clamoring to explain. Here are five of the strangest sights in the universe, as well as their possible origins.
An illustration of a large, round asteroid having a close encounter with the blue Earth
NASA's most wanted: The 5 most dangerous asteroids to Earth What is the most dangerous asteroid, how probable is an impact, and how much destructive power would a collision with Earth have? Here are 5 big space rocks that NASA is watching closely.

Latest about Space

An image of the sun split in half. The left side shows the sun during solar maximum, where its is more fiery and chaotic, and the right side shows the star during solar minimum, when it is more calm and smooth

Scientists finally confirm that solar maximum is well underway — and the worst could still be to come

By Harry Baker published

A surprise announcement from scientists involved in monitoring the solar cycle has finally confirmed that the sun's most active and dangerous phase — solar maximum — is already well underway, and could continue for at least a year.

The Sun
A rendering of the JWST floating through space with a colorful starry sky behind it

Are we wrong about the age of the universe? The James Webb telescope is raising big questions.

By Sandro Tacchella published

Some of the earliest galaxies found with JWST are also the brightest. That's a problem for our ideas about the universe.

Cosmology
Red and yellow stars against a black background with blue spheres emerging from its central region

Gaia space telescope discovers 55 'runaway' careening away from stellar cluster at 80 times the speed of sound

By Robert Lea published

Using the Gaia space telescope, astronomers have observed 55 massive stars ejected from their home star cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud at speeds equivalent to 80 times the speed of sound.

Astronomy
A black and white photo of a comet with a bright tail and a second fainter line coming off of it in the other direction

Rare illusion gives 'once-in-a-lifetime' comet a seemingly impossible 2nd tail after closest approach to Earth for 80,000 years

By Harry Baker published

New photos of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS appear to show a faint "anti-tail" pointing away in the wrong direction. The puzzling extra limb is the result of a rare illusion that is only possible when our planet is in a certain position.

Comets
An image of the Europa clipper spacecraft. It has a small body with wide wings. Beneath it, Europa is tan and brown with a vein-like pattern.

Europa Clipper: What's next for NASA's biggest-ever interplanetary spacecraft?

By James Price published

NASA just launched a spacecraft the size of a basketball court towards Jupiter's moon Europa. Here's what will happen over the next 10 years.

Space Exploration
a bright white dot sits at the bottom center of a grainy grey image of space with smaller scattered stars.

Phew! No 'doomsday' asteroids hide in famous broken comet's debris stream

By Keith Cooper published

The Taurid Meteoroid Stream, which is possibly responsible for the famous Tunguska and Chelyabinsk impacts, probably doesn't hide a civilization-killing asteroid.

Asteroids
an image of Jupiter

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is being squeezed, Hubble Telescope finds — and nobody knows why

By Keith Cooper published

The Hubble Space Telescope has seen Jupiter's Great Red Spot oscillating in width as it drifts around the planet. Could this be related to its overall shrinking?

Jupiter
a rocket launching with fire coming from the thruster with mountains in the background.

China’s secretive new 'Thousands Sails' satellites are an astronomer's nightmare, 1st observations reveal

By Harry Baker published

The launch of the Qianfan satellites on Aug. 6 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

Space Exploration
A view of a starry sky with an inset image showing the location of the REBELS-25 galaxy

Record-breaking ancient spinning galaxy challenges cosmic evolution theories

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers have discovered the earliest strongly rotating galaxy ever seen that's well-organized rather than chaotic, challenging theories of cosmic evolution.

Cosmology
The silhouette of a plane flies in front of a full moon with a very orange hue

The biggest supermoon of the year is about to rise: When to see the 'Hunter's Moon' at its best and brightest

By Jamie Carter published

The Hunter's Moon will be the first full moon of autumn when it rises on Oct. 17. It will also be the third and closest supermoon of the year.

The Moon
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