JWST Pierces Through a Thick Nebula to Reveal Newly Forming Binary Stars
In 1985, the physicist Heinz Pagels wrote that star birth was a "veiled and secret event." That's because the stellar…
If Rogue Planets are Everywhere, How Could We Explore Them?
A new study estimates there could be hundreds of rogue planets nearby that we could explore for signs of extraterrestrial…
How Did Supermassive Black Holes Grow So Quickly, So Early?
Supermassive black holes haunt the cores of many galaxies. Yet for all we know about black holes (not nearly enough!),…
How Will We the Find First Signs of Alien Life — and When?
When will we find evidence for life beyond Earth? And where will that evidence be found? University of Arizona astronomer Chris…
Clumps Around a Young Star Could Eventually Turn Into Planets Like Jupiter
New images from the European Southern Observatory show a young star surrounded by dusty clumps that could collapse and create…
Have We Seen the First Glimpse of Supermassive Dark Stars?
A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) examines what are known as dark…
Astronomers Find a Rare “Einstein Cross”
Gravitational lensing is one of astronomy's great wonders: a natural lens that magnifies the distant universe. Sometimes a lensing system…
NASA and DARPA Award Contract for a Nuclear Engine to Lockheed Martin
NASA and DARPA have announced the Lockheed Martin and partners will develop the prototype DRACO nuclear thermal engine.
Senseless Vandalism Damages Canadian Observatory
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's observatory in Hamilton, Ontario was vandalized earlier this month, with at least $100,000 in…
Olympus Could Have Been a Giant Volcanic Island in an Ancient Martian Ocean
New research shows that Mars' Olympus Mons may have once been a volcanic island surrounding by ocean.