Astronomers have directed JWST to examine the atmosphere of an exoplanet called K2-18 b, which orbits a cool dwarf star about 120 light-years from Earth. The planet is 8.6 times as massive as Earth, and the observations have revealed methane and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. This opens up the intriguing possibility that this exoplanet is an example of a theorized "hycean world," a planet with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean covering its surface that extends deeper than anything we have on Earth.

A new study has revealed that Polaris' pulsating behavior may be caused by its binary companion, resolving a long-standing mystery in astronomy.

The Hyades cluster is the closest open star cluster to Earth, located at a distance of about 150 light-years. Although black holes haven't been directly seen in the cluster, it's an excellent place to search for them because the largest stars would have detonated as supernovae and collapsed in neutron stars and black holes. Astronomers have simulated the motions of stars in the cluster with black holes lurking around and then compared them to the motions of the actual stars. They only matched with the presence of black holes near the center of the cluster.

Astronomers don't know if the Universe is finite or infinite. Whatever the case, it's larger than the Observable Universe, which measures 93 billion light-years across. A new paper proposes that the actual Universe is comparatively tiny, not much bigger than its observed size - just a few orders of magnitude larger. A smaller Universe solves some problems with other theories of cosmology, including inflation and the amount of dark energy in the Universe.

A new study from Caltech shows that the moon experiences "moonquakes" with precise regularity, like a "lunar alarm clock."

As the next round of giant observatories nears completion, astronomers are starting to ponder what comes next. One exciting location to consider is the Moon. There's no atmosphere on the Moon, so a lunar telescope would act like a space telescope. Still, solid ground, lower gravity, and potentially human astronauts are available to do maintenance and make upgrades. A new paper reviews different kinds of telescopes that could be built on the Moon and their unique advantages over Earth- or space-based instruments.

Catch periodic cosmic interloper 103P Hartley while you can.

A team of astronomers have developed a new technique that relies on Baryon Acoustic Oscillations to measure cosmic distances.

Galaxies are surrounded by magnetic field lines, spanning tens of thousands of light-years. These magnetic fields have previously been measured surrounding only the closest galaxies. Still, astronomers have made the map of a galaxy seen just a few billion years after the Big Bang. Astronomers discovered with ALMA, searching dust grains in the galaxy that align with the nearby magnetic fields. The light they emit becomes polarized, which can then be turned into magnetic field maps.

China has released artist renditions of the spacecraft and lander module that will send the first taikonauts to the Moon.