Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Image: Hubble spots galaxy's dramatic details
Some of the most dramatic events in the universe occur when certain stars die—and explode catastrophically in the process.
SN Now: The final installment of SCaN Now
NASA satellites, no matter the destination, have to communicate their data to mission control and scientists on Earth. These missions capture extraordinary data that make communications an essential part of...
Cosmic Ray Tool Repaired in Space
Capturing particles in space isn’t easy. But it’s impossible when your machine is turned off. While the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) was originally designed for...
IRAS 18379–1707 is a metal-poor high-velocity star, observations find
Astronomers have conducted high-resolution spectroscopic observations of IRAS 18379–1707 (or LS 5112), a candidate post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) star in the Milky Way galaxy. Results of the observations provide more...
Russian cargo ship docks at International Space Station
The International Space Station is running out of docking ports. Russia's Progress 74 cargo ship, which linked up with ISS early Monday morning, is one of five craft attached to...
XMM-Newton’s 20th anniversary in space
Image: On 10 December, ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray space observatory is celebrating its 20th launch anniversary. In those two decades, the observatory has supplied a constant stream of outstanding science. One area that the...
Russian Progress 74 Cargo Ship Docks at Space Station in Back-to-Back Arrivals
A Russian Progress freighter launched atop a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan early this morning (Dec. 6), carrying 2.7 tons of food, propellant and other supplies toward the...
New reentry CubeSat in orbit
ESA's latest space mission has reached orbit. The Qarman CubeSat flew to space aboard SpaceX's Dragon launched from Florida, U.S., on Thursday 5 December, ahead of a planned rendezvous with...
North Korea tells Donald Trump it has 'nothing to lose'
North Korea warned the United States on Monday that it has "nothing to lose," following a tweet from President Donald Trump.
What Makes This Low-Mass White Dwarf So 'Impossible' to Behold?
Scientists have spotted an incredibly weird, 'impossible' white dwarf star in a discovery that suggests these objects are even more common than suspected.
Astronomers See Stars Slinging Comets at Earth for the First Time
For the first time, a Polish group has identified two nearby stars that seem to have plucked up their icy partners, swinging them into orbits around our sun.
Russian supply ship docks with International Space Station
An unmanned Russian ship carrying tons of supplies successfully docked Monday with the International Space Station.
How did supermassive black holes grow so fast?
Black holes in the early universe pose a bit of a problem. Based on observations from telescopes on Earth and in space, we know that some black holes grew to...
Evidence of New X17 Particle Reported, but Scientists Are Wary
Could the mysterious particle be our window into studying dark matter? -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
How did supermassive black holes grow so fast?
by Jonathan O’Callaghan Black holes in the early universe pose a bit of a problem. Based on observations from telescopes on Earth and in space, we know that some black...
ESA commissions world’s first space debris removal
ClearSpace-1 will be the first space mission to remove an item of debris of orbit, planned for launch in 2025. The mission is being procured as a service contract with...
Astronomers surprised to find a star similar to our sun devouring the atmosphere of a giant planet
About 1,500 light years away lies the remnant of a star that was once like our own, and it's providing astronomers with clues as to what might happen in our...
Famous birthdays for Dec. 9: Lori Greiner, John Malkovich
Entrepreneur Lori Greiner turns 50 and actor John Malkovich turns 66, among the famous birthdays for Dec. 9.
SpaceX Dragon Arrives at Space Station with 'Robot Hotel,' Mice and More NASA Gear
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station early Sunday (Dec. 8) to deliver tons of fresh supplies and equipment to the orbiting lab, including a "robot hotel"...
SpaceX drag docks with International Space Station
The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft containing 5,700 pounds of cargo arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday morning.
Interstellar Comet Borisov Makes Closest Approach to the Sun
An intriguing interstellar comet from beyond our solar system will make its closest approach to the sun today Sunday (Dec. 8) and may be visible in some small telescopes, according...
Watch: Jimmy Fallon, Paul Rudd, James Corden drop by for 'SNL' NATO cafeteria sketch
Jimmy Fallon, Paul Rudd, James Corden and Alec Baldwin guest starred as world leaders in the "Saturday Night Live" cold open this weekend.
How to Find an Insterstellar Comet: A Q&A with Discoverer Gennady Borisov
Gennady Borisov stunned the astronomical community earlier this year when he announced that he had spotted an interstellar comet dashing through our solar system.
On This Day, Dec. 8: Reagan, Gorbachev sign nuclear treaty
On Dec. 8, 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the first treaty to reduce their massive nuclear arsenals.
Famous birthdays for Dec. 8: Nicki Minaj, Teri Hatcher
Musician Nicki Minaj turns 37 and actor Teri Hatcher turns 55, among the famous birthdays for Dec. 8.
Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager to host New Year's Eve special on NBC
"Today" show presenters Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager have been booked as the hosts for a New Year's Eve prime-time special on NBC.
SpaceX to Launch Critical Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test No Earlier Than Jan. 4
The private spaceflight company SpaceX will launch a critical launch escape system test for its Crew Dragon spaceship to no earlier than Jan. 4, NASA announced Friday (Dec. 6).
NASA Spacewalk Schedule Squeeze May Delay Repairs on $2 Billion Cosmic Ray Detector
With limited crew time available, NASA's fourth spacewalk to fix an ailing dark-matter experiment may have to wait.