The Hubble Space Telescope, operated by NASA and the ESA, captured an image of the galaxy NGC 7513, which is currently speeding away from Earth at an incredible rate. The galaxy is moving nearly 1,000 miles per second away from Earth. The expansion of the universe is what drives many objects in space farther and …
A space rock entered Earth’s atmosphere over Tokyo, producing a brilliant flash and a loud sonic boom. The incident was captured on video, showing the fireball lighting up and then fizzling out. No damage was reported but the sonic boom was heard for great distances. This past weekend gave those of us in the United …
The remains of a gas giant were spotted orbiting a nearby star, astronomers reveal. The core of the planet is all that remains, but researchers think it was once a massive gaseous planet. What lies deep within gas giant planets has long been a mystery for astronomers. Gas giant planets like Jupiter are incredibly interesting …
A huge star observed by astronomers appears to have vanished right before their eyes. The star, located in a nearby dwarf galaxy, is nowhere to be found just 8 years after it was last spotted. The star may have become a black hole without producing a supernova first, which would only be the second time …
Astronomers have observed the nearby supergiant star Betelgeuse dimming in recent months. Some have theorized that the star is about to go supernova, exploding violently as it dies. A new theory suggests the star’s instability is creating massive dark spots on its surface, making it darker. Betelgeuse is a massive star that is clearly visible …
Scientists have discovered a potential trio of Earth-like worlds orbiting a star that is a mere 11 light-years from us. The star is a red dwarf, and the planets may lie within the star’s habitable zone. Future telescope technology could reveal whether these planets have atmospheres and potentially even life. As far as we know, …
Researchers examined a bright flash they detected at a location thought to be the home of a black hole. The scientists provide evidence that the black hole may have collided with another, producing an unexpected flare in space. Black holes are typically invisible, swallowing up everything around them, including light. Black holes in space are …
Jupiter’s moon Europa may have the conditions necessary to support life, a new study claims. The interior of the planet is believed to be liquid water, and if that water has a stable source of heat, life could exist or even thrive there. Future missions to explore Europa could reveal whether or not life has …
Researchers are searching for an explanation for why the side of the Moon that faces Earth happens to be covered in dark spots, called “maria,” or seas. These areas may be the result of radioactive decay of certain elements found in rocks, generating heat and melting the rocks. The backside of the Moon has almost …
New research suggests Pluto once had an ocean on its surface. Evidence for the theory comes from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft which spotted unique cracks on the dwarf planet’s surface. Pluto may even still host a subsurface ocean, but researchers don’t know for sure. Pluto — the once-and-possibly-future planet — is a chilly place. It …
