Astronomy
Can JWST Tell the Difference Between an Exo-Earth and an Exo-Venus?
As of this month, astronomers have discovered 5,506 exoplanets orbiting other stars. That number is growing daily, and astronomers are…
It’s Time to Start Worrying About Space Junk Around the Moon, Too
Researchers look to track and mitigate the growing number of space junk objects around the Moon.
Watch OSIRIS-REx Release its Sample Capsule
Most of the spacecraft we send out into the Solar System are never meant to return. Time, space, and entropy…
Seeing the Web Connecting Galaxies Across the Universe
One hundred years ago, we didn't know there was anything outside of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Now we…
Perseverance Watches a Dust Devil Whirl Past
The Perseverance rover captured images of a dust devil on Mars, which were used to create this video.
Astronomers Have Been Watching a Supernova’s Debris Cloud Expand for Decades with Hubble
Twenty thousand years ago, a star in the constellation Cygnus went supernova. Like all supernovae, the explosion released a staggering…
Let the Robot Take the Wheel. Autonomous Navigation in Space
Tracking spacecraft as they traverse deep space isn't easy. So far, it's been done manually, with operators of NASA's Deep…
A New Planet-Hunting Instrument Has Been Installed on the Very Large Telescope
A new study shows how existing observatories like the ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) can be upgraded to perform cutting-edge…
Lose Yourself in the JWST’s Exquisite Image of Barnard’s Galaxy
There may come a day when we grow weary of JWST images. But it's not today. Today, we can lose…
If Earth is Average, We Should Find Extraterrestrial Life Within 60 Light-Years
A new study estimates that there could be 11,000 habitable planets within 100 parsecs of our Sun, the nearest being…