Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Top 10 stories of 2019: A black hole picture, measles outbreaks, climate protests and more
Science is good at measuring progress — and where we fall short. Science News’ Top 10 stories of the year reflect that duality, from celebrating great achievements to highlighting problems we had hoped...
Watch: LeBron James feeds Dwight Howard dunk with no-look, between legs pass
LeBron James assisted a powerful Dwight Howard dunk with a no-look, between-the-legs bounce pass during a Los Angeles Lakers win against the Atlanta Hawks.
Planetary nebula NGC 3132 investigated with MUSE
Using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument, European astronomers have taken a closer look at the planetary nebula NGC 3132. MUSE observations have delivered crucial data regarding the nebula's...
Image: Hubble's celestial peanut
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows NGC 1175, a galaxy with an intriguing and distinctive shape.
Astronomers present a concept for the next NASA flagship mission
Astronomers are making the case for a new mission to search for Earth-like planets outside our solar system.
2017 meteor was a 'grazing fireball'
A team of researchers at Curtin University in Australia reports that a meteor that streaked across the Australian sky back in 2017 was a rare "grazing fireball." The group has...
Physicist proposes a new approach in modeling the evolution of the universe
A physicist from RUDN University has proposed a new theoretical model for the interaction of spinor and gravitational fields. He considered the evolution of the universe within one of the...
Shedding light in the dark: radar satellites lead the way
Spare a thought this Christmas for researchers hunkered down on their Polarstern icebreaker, adrift in the frozen Arctic Ocean. Subjected to temperatures as low as –45°C and the perpetual darkness...
NASA's 'Treasure Map' of Water Ice on Mars Shows Where Humans Should Land
NASA's wish to follow the water on Mars just got a helping hand.
First Map of a Pulsar's Surface Reveals 'Hotspots' in Unexpected Places
Scientists have created the first "hotspot" map of the surface of a strange star, thanks to a telescope on the International Space Station.
Hubble’s celestial peanut
Image: This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows NGC 1175, a galaxy with an intriguing and distinctive shape.Galaxies come in a range of shapes and sizes. Spiral galaxies are characterised by...
On This Day, Dec. 16: Battle of the Bulge begins
On Dec. 16, 1944, Germany launched a counteroffensive in World War II that became known as the Battle of the Bulge.
Famous birthdays for Dec. 16: Billy Gibbons, Miranda Otto
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Billy Gibbons turns 70 and actor Miranda Otto turns 52, among the famous birthdays for Dec. 16.
Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons stun San Francisco 49ers with last-second touchdown
Matt Ryan found star receiver Julio Jones on a 5-yard pass that was ruled a touchdown after a review with two seconds remaining, rallying the Atlanta Falcons past the San...
NASA, SpaceX or a former astronaut: Who will build the rocket that takes us to Mars?
It’s easy to dream of putting humans on Mars — but designing the spacecraft to actually get there will be no easy feat. We look at the types of rockets...
Moon FARSIDE: Lunar Astronomy Proposal Takes Aim at Cosmic Dark Ages and Exoplanets
The moon's farside is an attention grabber for many reasons. A new mission idea capitalizes on those reasons in a project dubbed FARSIDE.
Lightning Bolts Create Glowing Auroral 'Elves' and Brilliant Gamma-Ray Flashes
Dark fluffy thunderclouds don't just fuel dramatic storms, they also produce some of the most energetic flashes of light on the planet.
'Lost' Iron Meteorites May Lurk Beneath Antarctic Ice. Scientists on Quest to Find Them.
Scientists are scouring the remote Antarctic ice cap for rare meteorites chock-full of iron and holding secrets to the history of our solar system going back some 4.5 billion years.
Researchers discover exoplanets can be made less habitable by stars' flares
The discovery of terrestrial exoplanets, planets that orbit stars outside the solar system, has been one of the most significant developments in modern astronomy. Several exoplanets lie in the "habitable...
An interstellar visitor could be lighting up for astronomers in time for the holidays
Comet Borisov is the second known celestial object to visit our solar system from deep space
Famous birthdays for Dec. 15: Michelle Dockery, Don Johnson
Actor Michelle Dockery turns 37 and actor Don Johnson turns 69, among the famous birthdays for Dec. 15.
Peter Sarsgaard's 'Interrogation' to debut Feb. 6 on CBS All Access
All episodes of the new true-crime series "Interrogation" -- starring Peter Sarsgaard, Kyle Gallner and David Strathairn -- will be available on CBS All Access on Feb. 6.
How does our Milky Way galaxy get its spiral form?
A question that has long puzzled scientists is how our Milky Way galaxy which has an elegant spiral shape with long arms, took this form.
SpaceX Test-Fires Used Falcon 9 Rocket for Hefty Satellite Launch
SpaceX fired up a twice-used Falcon 9 rocket Friday (Dec. 13), setting the stage for the launch of a a hefty next communications satellite into space next week.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejects PG&E bankruptcy plan
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has rejected Pacific Gas and Electric's plan to exit bankruptcy and pay a $13.5 billion settlement to Northern California wildfire victims.
New NASA mission will allow scientists to track rising seas from space
JPL is prepping a mission to probe the oceans' depths over the next decade and chart their inexorable rise. Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will launch in 2020.
Interstellar Comet Borisov Shines in Incredible New Hubble Photos
Two new "ghostly" images catch the first observed interstellar comet whizzing by the sun and in front of a distant, spiral galaxy on the object's way back out of our...