Astronomy
When Is a Star Not a Star?
When it's a brown dwarf -- but where do we draw the line? Often called "failed stars," brown dwarfs are…
This Picture Symbolizes The Changing Mission Of One Plucky Spacecraft
Besides being a darn pretty picture of the Helix nebula, this snapshot is a bit of symbolism for NASA. The…
Why Exoplanet-Hunting Is ‘Like Seeing A Flea In A Lightbulb’
Exoplanets are really tiny compared to their host star, and it's hard to imagine sometimes how astronomers can even find…
Fast Radio Bursts May Originate Closer to Home Than Previously Thought
Fast radio bursts — eruptions of extreme energy that occur only once and last a thousandth of a second —…
Argon – The First Noble Gas Molecules Discovered In Space
There are only six of them: radon, helium, neon, krypton, xenon and the first molecules to be discovered in space…
IRIS Glimpses an Elusive Region of the Sun
An innovative solar observatory is adding a key piece to the puzzle of the enigma that is our Sun. Its…
Where Should We Look for Life in the Solar System?
Emily Lakdawalla is the senior editor and planetary evangelist for the Planetary Society. She's also one of the most knowledgeable…
Melting Glaciers May Push The West Antarctic’s Ice Loss Ever Higher
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is losing the equivalent of a Lake Tahoe in ice every single year, according to…
Young Boy’s Discovery Confirmed as a Peculiar Supernova Explosion
New observations confirm that young Nathan Gray's discovery is indeed a supernova explosion, albeit a rather peculiar one. Nathan Gray,…
New Project Aims To Improve Galaxy Simulation — And Help Us Understand More About The Universe
Galaxy modelling is complicated, and even more so when different computer models don't agree on how the factors come together.…