The US won’t have to wait long for another total solar eclipse
The next total solar eclipse for those in the United States will come four years from now, in early April 2024. Unlike the Great American …
Space
Watch a black hole violently fire a jet of material into space
Astronomers from the Event Horizon Telescope project have released images of a distant quasar with its black hole spewing material into space. The images were …
Astronomers explain why Uranus is so weird
Japanese astronomers have a theory to explain all the weird things about Uranus, including its rotation speed and the angle at which it spins. The …
Boeing will have to reattempt failed Starliner test flight
Boeing will attempt another test flight to the International Space Station without crew members aboard its Starliner spacecraft, the company announced this week. Late last …
NASA’s Perseverance rover got some sweet new wheels
NASA’s Perseverance rover got some gorgeous new wheels. The wheels are different from those of the Curiosity rover, and will play a pivotal role in …
Someone paid $5.6 million for an actual rocket in China
An unidentified bidder spent $5.6 to buy an actual rocket and launch services on the Chinese auction site Taobao. The auction includes the rocket, launch …
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows off its shiny new mirror
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope takes one big step towards eventually being cleared for launch by arranging its mirror array. The telescope’s current launch date …
Ancient Mars may have had received water from two major sources
Ancient Mars may have received its wealth of water from a couple of major sources, new research suggests. Studying the content of Martian meteorites that …
Astronomers spot 139 new ‘minor planets’ in our own solar system
Astronomers spotted 139 new objects in our solar system in orbit beyond Neptune. Many of these new trans-Neptunian objects reside in the same area of …
This new exoplanet is so hot it rains liquid metal
Astronomers detected a distant exoplanet with iron rain. Iron is vaporized due to high daytime temperatures and then condenses into rain as it moves to …
ExoMars mission delayed to 2022, and coronavirus played a role
The launch of the ExoMars mission has been delayed from 2020 to 2022 over testing woes and coronavirus concerns. The mission, which is being conducted …
A black hole ‘burp’ devastated a distant galaxy cluster
A black hole carved a hole right through the Ophiuchus galaxy cluster, which is located some 390 million light years from Earth. Astronomers believe the …
We’re close to confirming NASA’s Curiosity rover found signs of life on Mars
As far as anyone knows, there’s no life currently sticking it out on Mars. The Red Planet may have conditions suitable for life, especially deep …
Scientists may have finally cracked the dark matter mystery
When astronomers gaze into space they can see many different things. Galaxies, stars, and even black holes can be spotted from our place here on …
A colossal asteroid is about to pass by Earth, but we’ll be fine
NASA and other space agencies around the globe do their best to keep a close eye on objects that get a little too close to …
Our galaxy is warping and astronomers have no idea why
From our perch here on Earth, it’s impossible for most of us to notice changes happening in our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Astronomers, on …
Bizarre ‘cotton candy’ planets might have rings, scientists say
Our solar system has a nice selection of planet types. We have ultra-hot worlds orbiting close to our Sun, rocky worlds like Earth and Mars, …
Students stumble upon new black hole in NASA asteroid probe data
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has spent the majority of its life studying the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. It was tasked with traveling to the asteroid, orbiting it, …
Astronomers spotted a white dwarf star so massive, it defies explanation
A team of astronomers has spotted what they describe as an “ultra-massive” white dwarf hanging out in space at a distance of around 150 light-years …
Here’s how to apply to be a NASA astronaut
NASA needs new astronauts. You want to be an astronaut. The only thing standing between you and your dream is a simple application. Okay, so …
Student astronomer finds 17 new planets, and one is about the size of Earth
Finding new planets lurking in space isn’t as hard as it used to be, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a challenge. High-tech instruments like …
The most massive explosion since the Big Bang was just spotted in deep space
As far as astronomers know, the Big Bang is why we’re all here. The massive explosion sent all the matter we see in the universe …
NASA just recreated Apollo 13’s Moon journey in stunning 4K
NASA’s Apollo 13 was one of the space agency’s most incredible missions into space. With a goal of landing on the Moon, the mission hit …
Astronomers are watching an exoplanet die right before their eyes
Detecting the presence of a new exoplanet hundreds of light-years away is always exciting for astronomers, but not all newly-discovered planets are created equal. Some …
A massive new planet that dwarfs Jupiter was just found lurking nearby
In our solar system, Jupiter is king. It’s far larger than the other planets in our system and it absolutely dwarfs Earth. But in the …
Here’s how MIT wants to save Earth from killer asteroids
If science fiction movies have taught us anything, it’s that saving Earth from a killer asteroid is going to take some big drills and probably …
NASA teams up with Australia for new space robotics push
If humans want a larger presence in space we’re going to have to have a good bit of help from robots. At least that’s what …
NASA’s Juno probe reveals water in Jupiter’s atmosphere
For scientists studying Jupiter, there’s plenty to see. The gas giant has a wealth of personality, and its swirling storms and colorful streams of gas …
Nobody knows what’s going on with the colossal nearby star Betelgeuse
One of the more interesting astronomy stories that came out at the tail end of 2019 was the bizarre behavior of the nearby star known …
Want to be an astronaut? NASA wants your application
NASA has increasingly relied on high-tech machines like orbiters, rovers, and landers to conduct much of its research in space. However, that doesn’t mean that …
