Astronomy
Glycine Can Form In Interstellar Clouds
Author's note: This article was written in collaboration with Vincent Kofman, a co-author of the paper it discusses and Post…
It Took 50 Nights of Observations to Capture New Data on the Magellanic Clouds
The Magellanic Clouds are two of our closest neighbours, in galactic terms. The pair of irregular dwarf galaxies were drawn…
20 Years of Hubble Photos Show how the Stingray Nebula is Fading
The Stingray Nebula is the youngest known planetary nebula. For half a century astronomers have witnessed its formation, and now…
This is Not a Photo of the Milky Way. It’s the Map of 1.8 Billion Stars From Gaia’s Major New Data Release
Thanks to the latest data release from the ESA's Gaia mission, researchers are making all kinds of discoveries about the…
If There’s Subsurface Water Across Mars, Where is it Safe to Land to Avoid Contamination?
If Mars is a potential home for alien life, can we land safely anywhere on the surface without introducing contamination…
Our Guide to This Month’s Total Solar Eclipse Over South America
2020 closes out with the final eclipse of the decade, as totality crosses the southern tip of South America on…
Solid Phosphorus has been Found in Comets. This Means They Contain All the Raw Elements for Life
Did comets deliver the elements essential for life on Earth? It's looking more and more like they could have. At…
Neutrinos Have Played a Huge Role in the Evolution of the Universe
Neutrinos are a form of dark matter, and they play a role in the evolution of the universe.
In the Far Future, Stellar Flybys Will Completely Dismantle the Solar System
Consumption and disintegration. Next time you want to be the life of the party—if you're hanging out with cool nerds…
Spiral-shaped Planetary Disks Should Be More Common. Giant Planets Might Be Disrupting Their Formation
Planetary system formation is a process that involves astounding and complex forces. Humans have only just started trying to understand…