How a young Jupiter saved Earth from falling into the Sun
Not all of the solar system’s building blocks formed simultaneously. Some of the first solid bodies, or planetesimals,…
Scientists warn that space is becoming too crowded to manage safely
Earth’s orbit is getting crowded, and scientists are warning that space may soon become too risky to manage…
Titan’s icy surface hides a chemical mystery that could explain how life began
For decades, chemistry students have learned a simple truth: polar and nonpolar substances don’t mix. Water and oil…
Astronomers detect million-solar-mass object in distant universe
Astronomers have detected one of the darkest objects ever seen at a record cosmic distance—only with the assistance…
Solar tornadoes: New findings reveal hidden twists in solar storms that threaten Earth
A new University of Michigan study offers one of the most detailed pictures so far of how violent…
How black holes generate massive magnetic and particle-driven jets
Deep in the core of most galaxies, hidden by spinning clouds of gas and dust, black holes spin…
Dark matter may end our universe in a ‘Big Crunch’
Astrophysicists have presumed for nearly a century that the universe will just keep expanding for all eternity, driven…
Red dwarf stars are unlikely to host planets with advanced life and civilizations
For all the talk about life across the cosmos, Earth remains the only confirmed example. That single data…
How a planetary crash with Theia brought water and life to Earth
About 4.6 billion years ago, the Solar System formed from a cloud of dust and gas collapsing in…
Earth is getting darker and it’s changing the planet’s climate balance
For nearly twenty years, satellites have quietly gauged the flow of sunlight and heat through the Earth’s atmosphere.…
Strange new mineral found on Mars points to past potential for life
For years, scientists staring at Mars through the eyes of orbiting spacecraft noticed something strange: a mysterious signal…
A wormhole from another universe? Scientists revisit the puzzling black hole GW190521
In May 2019, astronomers picked up something strange in the fabric of spacetime. The LIGO and Virgo detectors…