Field: Outer Space
How to terraform Mars, without nukes, on a budget
Terraforming Mars has been a dream for decades; here’s how we might get it started today.
Understanding just how big solar flares can get
Recasting the iconic Carrington Event as just one of many superstorms in Earth’s past, scientists reveal the potential for even more massive eruptions.
Here’s how growing plants on the Moon could benefit Earth
Making plants grow on the Moon could be instrumental in helping gardens to grow greener on Earth in the face of climate change.
For the first time, astronomers have detected a radio signal from the massive explosion of a dying white dwarf
Patience and persistence pays off in ways researchers never expected, allowing them to hear the dying whispers of a distant star.
Astronomers have directly detected a massive exoplanet. The method could transform the search for life beyond Earth.
There are many techniques to search for planets orbiting other stars. Perhaps the simplest of these is called direct imaging, but it's not easy.
What do 85,000 volcanoes look like? Check out a comprehensive map of Venus and see.
Using decades-old data, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have created a comprehensive Venus volcano map.
NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory to finally answer the epic question: “Are we alone?”
The Nancy Roman Telescope is already being built with a goal no smaller than to find inhabited planets beyond Earth.
Jupiter’s moons hide giant subsurface oceans
Three of Jupiter’s moons – Europa, Ganymede and Callisto – are home to large, underground oceans of liquid water that could support life.
Researchers believe genes could crack cancer in space
In partnership with Intel
How does space travel impact human health? Researchers are filling in the gaps in the data with AI.
The next cancer breakthrough could come from space
In partnership with Intel
What do astronauts, AI, and mice have in common? According to research, quite a lot.
The strongest evidence for a Universe before the Big Bang
For many decades, people conflated the hot Big Bang, describing the early Universe, with a singularity: that this "Big Bang" was the birth of space and time.
How Einstein tried to model the shape of the Universe
Two years after proposing his general theory of relativity, Einstein endeavored to find the shape of the Universe.
“Treasure map” guides scientists to massive meteorite
A “treasure map” highlighting places where meteorites are most likely to be found has led to the discovery of a 17-pound space rock.
Space travel will radically change human psychology and spirituality
We are living in a period of living and traveling in space. If we continue on this trajectory, we will develop new spiritual views.
Terraforming: why the Moon is a better target than Mars
While most of humanity's terraforming dreams have focused on Mars, a better candidate may be even closer: the Moon.
Cosmic dust from Venus is inspiring new air pollution-busting technology
Inspired by chemistry observed on the surface of Venus, researchers produced a synthetic material that could improve air quality.
Jupiter’s hot “pizza moon” may contain life
Jupiter's moon Io is thought to be inhospitable, but new data suggests life could exist underground, perhaps in lava tubes.
NASA announces alien-hunting Habitable Worlds Observatory
NASA has announced that it is developing the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a new space telescope optimized to hunt for extraterrestrial life.
How to prove Einstein’s relativity for under $100
Muons only live for 2.2 microseconds before decaying. Thanks to Einstein's relativity, they make it to the surface of the earth. Here's how to prove it.
The case for dark matter has strengthened
Though it makes up about 26% of the Universe, we cannot see dark matter. But we know it's there because we can see its effects.
What happens when an astrophysicist puts ChatGPT to the test?
Can an astrophysicist get ChatGPT to learn and assimilate new information and give correct answers where it gave confident but false ones?
Ring galaxies, the rarest in the Universe, finally explained
After decades of wondering how ring galaxies form, we've caught them in enough stages of evolution that we finally know where they come from.
A far-out plan to build an asteroid city
University of Rochester researchers think they have a solution to creating an asteroid city: a giant bag.
China’s new space station is open for business
On Nov. 29, 2022, the Shenzhou 15 mission launched from China’s Gobi Desert carrying three taikonauts – the Chinese word for astronauts.
“Galactic archeology” makes spectacular find: the Milky Way is over 13 billion years old
Scientists have pushed the Milky Way's early history back more than 2 billion years: to less than 800 million years after the Big Bang.
An Earth-sized planet found in the habitable zone of a nearby star
For a long time, only two habitable zone planets of any size were known to astronomers: Earth and Mars. But NASA's discovered another.
Are we living in a baby universe that looks like a black hole to outside observers?
If the black holes that form in our cosmos give birth to baby Universes, perhaps we arose from the formation of a black hole ourselves.
Ancient killer asteroid created a megatsunami on Mars
3.4 billion years ago, an asteroid impact created a megatsunami on Mars that extended for 1500 kilometers. Here's the fascinating story.
What the new Earth-threatening asteroid means for humanity
In a remarkable achievement, three new large asteroids have been found in the most elusive place: inside the orbit of Earth.
What is the largest planet out of all the ones we know?
The "upper limit" to the size of our planets is exceeded in other stellar systems, but double Jupiter's radius seems to be the limit.
Chernobyl fungus could shield astronauts from cosmic radiation
A recent study tested how well the fungi species Cladosporium sphaerospermum blocked cosmic radiation aboard the International Space Station.
The technology we (or aliens) need for long-distance interstellar travel
Interstellar distances are vast, and extremely advanced technology will be required if we (or aliens) want to visit other star systems.
How NASA is planning to prevent a Martian plague
When Mars samples arrive, they may carry more than knowledge. To offset the chance of a Martian pandemic, NASA is learning to contain a Red Planet plague.
This logarithmic view of the Universe will blow your mind
From here to the limits of what we can see, here's a breathtaking illustrated logarithmic view of the Universe.
There are more galaxies in the Universe than even Carl Sagan ever imagined
There are between 6 and 20 trillion galaxies out there. Carl Sagan's "billions and billions" was far too low of a guess.
The Universe is flat. Here’s what that teaches us.
When we measure it, we find that our Universe really is flat. Here's what we can learn from that, and why it matters so much.
Newly discovered exoplanet may be first covered in liquid water
The first ocean planet may have just been discovered in the “Goldilocks zone” of a star 100 light-years from Earth.
A new nova disappeared faster than ever, and an even bigger cosmic catastrophe is coming
Today, the fastest-ever nova to fall off has been discovered, and even faster ones may be out there. What comes next?
Listen to the sound of a black hole, remixed by NASA
NASA scientists have “remixed” the incredibly deep sounds emitted by a black hole 240 million light-years away.
NASA-funded scientist says “MEGA drive” could enable interstellar travel
The mega drive might provide enough thrust for a spacecraft to travel near the speed of light using only electricity, says one physicist.
Black hole mergers obey the laws of thermodynamics
An analysis of the gravitational wave data from black hole mergers show that the event horizon area, and entropy, always increases.
James Webb’s first science images: before-and-after
The James Webb Space Telescope's first set of science images showcases the breadth of the observatory’s capabilities.
NASA teases Webb telescope’s first images with list of targets (Updated)
NASA has announced the first targets for the James Webb Space Telescope and plans to share the full-color images on July 12.
The cosmos can kill us in many ways. But the James Webb Space Telescope can help save us
Asteroid strikes, supernova explosions, and gamma-ray bursts are just a few of the ways the cosmos can kill us.
Scientists see “rarest event ever recorded” in search for dark matter
Researchers observed an ultra-rare particle interaction that reveals the half-life of a xenon-124 atom to be 18 sextillion years.
What happens if the Solar System’s largest comet collides with Earth?
The asteroid that caused the last mass extinction 65 million years ago was only 5 kilometers across — tiny compared to this one.
17 pictures that show how mind-bogglingly large the Universe is
Our entire planet is a little under 13,000 kilometers in diameter, or about seven orders of magnitude greater than the size of a human.
When will the Earth come to an end?
There are many different "ends" in store for our planet, in both the near and far future. Here are the ways our planet will meet its demise.
MIT proposes Brazil-sized fleet of “space bubbles” to cool the Earth
A raft of “space bubbles” could be used to reverse global warming, according to an MIT group's solar geoengineering proposal.
Humans have big plans for mining in space
What's holding us back from mining in space when we have such big plans already? The sheer cost, for one thing.
After 350 years, astronomers still can’t explain the solar system’s strangest moon
Saturn's Iapetus, discovered way back in 1671, has three bizarre features that science still can't fully explain.
Search reveals eight new sources of black hole echoes
The researchers' findings will help scientists trace a black hole’s evolution as it feeds on stellar material.
Europa’s icy shell may harbor habitable pockets
Using radar data from our own world, Stanford researchers have proposed a new place to look for life on Jupiter’s icy moon.
Rover images confirm Jezero crater is an ancient Martian lake
Without driving anywhere, the rover was able to solve one of the big unknowns, which was that this crater once held water.
Meteorite’s fall to Earth retraced with dashcam footage
The unconventional method could help astronomers better track meteorites that fall during the daytime.
Michio Kaku makes 3 predictions about the future
Dr. Michio Kaku on what is likely and what is possible provides a stimulating vision of the future.
An asteroid could wipe out an entire city – here’s NASA’s plan to prevent catastrophe
Cosmic bodies, like asteroids and comets, are constantly zooming through space and often crash into our planet.
NASA considers stingray-like drone to fly the skies of Venus
The winged drone is designed to ride 200-mph Venusian winds.
A rogue rocket is on course to crash into the Moon. It won’t be the first.
Earlier in the Space Age, little thought was given to leaving what many call “trash” on the lunar surface.
Record-breaking supernova manages to “X-ray” the entire Universe
“When I saw the data, I didn’t believe the analysis...This is the brightest Cow supernova seen to date."
Scientists propose sending tiny lifeforms to neighboring solar systems
Scientists have created a plan for interstellar travel. They plan to send tiny lifeforms to the nearest solar system.
Hibernating squirrels hint at secret to surviving space travel
Astronauts lose muscle mass in space. The secret to how ground squirrels keep mass in hibernation may help future space travelers keep their own.
Startup will send prized artifacts to the International Space Station
Uplift Aerospace will transport valuable goods to the ISS and house them in their Constellation Vault starting this year.
Astronomers have found the biggest group of rogue planets yet
Using ground telescopes and satellite observations taken over decades, researchers have identified the largest number of wandering rogue planets yet.
The plans to generate electricity on the moon
Scientists at TalTech are working on solar cell technology using microcrystals that are only about the size of a grain of sand — hoping to power a moonbase.
MIT is leading the hunt for life in Venus’ atmosphere
MIT is leading a privately-funded hunt for life in Venus’ clouds, scheduled to begin in 2023.
I wrote the book on warp drive. No, we didn’t accidentally create a warp bubble.
The same (former) NASA engineer who previously claimed to violate Newton's laws is now claiming to have made a warp bubble. He didn't.
No, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe didn’t “touch the Sun”
How can you "touch the Sun" if you've always been inside the solar corona, yet will never reach the Sun's photosphere?
NASA’s DART mission will move an asteroid (Updated)
If a giant asteroid were to slam into Earth, well, we’d be in trouble. That’s why NASA is launching DART, the world’s first planetary defense mission.
How a powerful telescope found a tiny black hole
Astronomers just discovered a black hole of a mass comparable to the Sun.It is small and not so far away, which opens the window to new discoveries.
94% of the universe’s galaxies are permanently beyond our reach
Today, most of the universe's galaxies are already receding faster than the speed of light.
The Moon has enough oxygen to sustain 8 billion people for 100,000 years
A Belgium startup expects to send their technology to the Moon by 2025 to improve the process of making oxygen via electrolysis.
Forget Mars, let's terraform the moon
We need to make outer space more Earth-like if we're going to inhabit it one day — let's start with the moon, not Mars.
Can we (legally) colonize space?
The space race is heating up, but many legal issues are still open to debate.
Moon glass helps solve a lunar mystery
Analyzing moon samples from the 1980s with a new laser technique shows we were wrong about the moon’s magnetic field.
Scientists listen to marsquakes to map the inside of the planet
With information garnered from marsquakes, researchers have created the first complete image of the interior structure of Mars.
Astronomers catch “ghosts” dancing around radio galaxies
Astronomers with the EMU Project have released a spooky image of “dancing ghosts” emanating from a pair of distant radio galaxies.
“Star shrapnel” from a supernova explosion is exiting the galaxy
A metallic star is hurtling out of the Milky Way, propelled by a supernova explosion triggered after it ate its partner star as a white dwarf.
Harvard astrophysicist will lead hunt for alien technology
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb’s new Galileo Project will hunt for alien technology using proven scientific methods and equipment.
Baby exoplanet appears to be forming a moon
A unique baby exoplanet surrounded by a disc of gas and dust could unravel some of the mystery surrounding planet and moon formation.
Black holes caught eating neutron stars for first time
Using gravitational waves, astronomers have observed collisions between black holes and neutron stars for the first time.
See the first 3D map of the heliosphere
Astronomers have created the first ever 3D map of the heliosphere, using satellite data to reveal the part of the universe influenced by our sun’s solar wind.
Astronomers find more than 100,000 "stellar nurseries"
The biggest survey of stellar nurseries to date, PHANGS-ALMA, charts more than 100,000 star formation regions across our corner of the universe.
Gecko gripper could clean up space junk
The Earth is circled by a sea of space junk, and it poses a danger to satellites and astronauts. We know we should...
See the most realistic simulation of star formation yet
A new simulation of star formation is the most realistic ever created, giving scientists an unprecedented opportunity to study the birth of a star.
Radioactive plutonium from space found in Pacific Ocean
A rare form of plutonium has been discovered on Earth for the first time — and an exploding star appears to have helped it get here.
Series| Just Might Work
Catching the most dangerous thing in space More than 8,000 tons of space debris orbit Earth, endangering our astronauts and satellites. Can we clean up space before it’s too late?
Algorithm quickly simulates massive universes in high-res
A new algorithm lets astrophysicists produce high-res cosmological simulations of large parts of the universe far more quickly than was previously possible.
NASA plans to send probe deep into interstellar space
An in-development Interstellar Probe could explore an area 10 times farther away than any craft before it, providing an unprecedented look at interstellar space.
More than 5,000 tons of space dust hit Earth every year
We now know about how much space dust — micrometeorites that may have seeded Earth with the ingredients for life — hits the planet every year.
Scientists measure Mars’ core — and it is shockingly big!
For the first time, scientists have measured Mars’ core — and found it is much bigger than expected.
A distant exoplanet made itself a second atmosphere
A distant exoplanet, GJ 1132 b, appears to have created a second atmosphere for itself after being stripped of its first.
Building infrastructure on Mars is tricky — these bugs could help
Landing on Mars is just the beginning — to live there, we'll need to invent Martian concrete.
Icelandic rocks hold clues to Mars’ ancient climate
Water once flowed on Mars. But was ancient Mars’s climate hot and wet, or dry and glacial? Iceland may hold the answer.
This cloudless “hot Jupiter” is unlike any known exoplanet
Astronomers have discovered a first-of-its-kind cloudless hot Jupiter — and it could expand our understanding of exoplanet formation.
We're floating in 6,000 tons of junk
There's a lot of trash in outer space. We need to clean it up before it becomes unusable.
Series| Coded
Hacking satellites with $300 worth of TV gear There are nearly 3,000 satellites in orbit, and all of them are subject to a breach in satellite security. Here’s how white hat hackers can help.
Citizen scientists helped NASA map our cosmic backyard
NASA was able to create a highly detailed 3D map of nearby brown dwarfs thanks to the efforts of 150,000 citizen scientists.
Scientists may have found the hum of the universe
Scientists may have recorded the "hum" of the universe for the first time by measuring irregularities in gravitational waves.