Signs of alien life may be hiding in these gases
Scientists identify a new way to detect life in outer space with currently existing telescopes. The method hinges on worlds that look nothing like Earth, and gases rarely considered in the search for...
View ArticleTOI-1453: Sub-Neptune in system of two exoplanets
Astronomers have discovered two exoplanets around TOI-1453, a star about 250 light years away. These two exoplanets, a super-Earth and a sub-Neptune, are common in the galaxy, yet are absent from our...
View ArticleDetailed map of dust in the Milky Way
Astronomers have constructed the first detailed 3D map of the properties of cosmic dust in our home galaxy. For their map, the astronomers used 130 million spectra from ESA's Gaia mission, results from...
View ArticleWeighing in on a Mars water debate
Water once existed in abundance of at the surface of Mars. How much of that water has been stored in the planet's crust is still unclear, according to a new analysis.
View ArticleAge of upcoming asteroid flyby target
New modeling indicates the main belt asteroid (52246) Donaldjohanson may have formed about 150 million years ago when a larger parent asteroid broke apart; its orbit and spin properties have undergone...
View ArticleWebb telescope captures its first direct images of carbon dioxide outside...
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first direct images of carbon dioxide in a planet outside the solar system in HR 8799, a multiplanet system 130 light-years away that has long been a key...
View ArticleCombination of cosmic processes shapes the size and location of sub-Neptunes
A combination of cosmic processes shapes the formation of one of the most common types of planets outside of our solar system, according to a new study.
View ArticleOxygen discovered in most distant known galaxy
Astronomers have detected oxygen in the most distant known galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0. This record-breaking detection is making astronomers rethink how quickly galaxies formed in the early Universe.
View ArticleTreasure trove of galaxies, glimpses of deep fields
On 19 March 2025, the European Space Agency's Euclid mission releases its first batch of survey data, including a preview of its deep fields. Here, hundreds of thousands of galaxies in different shapes...
View ArticleMeteorites: A geologic map of the asteroid belt
Where do meteorites of different type come from? In a review paper, astronomers trace the impact orbit of observed meteorite falls to several previously unidentified source regions in the asteroid belt.
View ArticleOxygen for Mars
To mitigate global climate change, emissions of the primary culprit, carbon dioxide, must be drastically reduced. A newly developed process helps solve this problem: CO2 is directly split...
View ArticleOrganic molecules of unprecedented size discovered on Mars
The longest organic molecules identified to date on Mars have recently been detected. These long carbon chains, containing up to 12 consecutive carbon atoms, could exhibit features similar to the fatty...
View ArticleFluorescent caves could explain how life persists in extraterrestrial...
Deep below the Earth's surface, rock and mineral formations lay hidden with a secret brilliance. Under a black light, the chemicals fossilized within shine in brilliant hues of pink, blue and green....
View ArticleMartian dust could pose health risks to future astronauts
Inhaling dust particles from the Red Planet over long periods of time could put humans at risk of developing respiratory issues, thyroid disease and other health problems.
View ArticleSound frequencies of stars sing of our galaxy's past and future
Researchers interrogated the 'sounds' of a cluster of stars within the Milky Way, uncovering a new technique for astrophysicists to probe the universe and learn more about its evolution.
View ArticleMiso made in space tastes nuttier
Miso is a traditional Japanese condiment made by fermenting cooked soybeans and salt. Researchers successfully made miso on the International Space Station (ISS). They found that the miso smelled and...
View ArticleInsight from one of Milky Way's most extreme environments
In new images, scientists have gotten the closest look yet at Sagittarius C -- a 'stellar nursery' where clouds of gas and dust have collapsed to form thousands of new stars.
View ArticleAsteroid impact threat estimates improved for the Earth and the Moon
An international team is currently closely tracking the near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4. The impact probability estimates for the year 2032 has been reduced from a peak of 3 percent to below 0.001 percent.
View ArticleGalaxies die earlier than expected
For a long time, scientists thought that only actively star-forming galaxies should be observed in the very early Universe. The James Webb space telescope now reveals that galaxies stopped forming...
View ArticleSolar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration
The same dirt that clings to astronauts' boots may one day keep their lights on. Researchers created solar cells made out of simulated Moon dust. The cells convert sunlight into energy efficiently,...
View ArticleSolar wave squeezed Jupiter's magnetic shield to unleash heat
A solar wind event from 2017 that hit Jupiter and compressed its magnetosphere created a hot region spanning half Jupiter's circumference.
View ArticleExisting international law can help secure peace and security in outer space
World leaders should look to existing international law on the use of force to address the threat of space becoming ever more militarized, a new study shows.
View ArticleSaturn's moon Titan could harbor life, but only a tiny amount, study finds
Despite its uniquely rich inventory of organic molecules, Saturn's largest moon, Titan, may be able to support only a minuscule amount of biomass, if life exists on the moon, according to a study using...
View ArticleScientists source solar emissions with largest-ever concentration of rare...
The NASA/ESA Solar Orbiter recently recorded the highest-ever concentration of a rare helium isotope (3He) emitted from the Sun. A Southwest Research Institute-led team of scientists sought the source...
View Article'Hidden galaxies': Key to unlocking some of universe's secrets
Astronomers have peered back in time to find what looks like a population of 'hidden' galaxies that could hold the key to unlocking some of the universe's secrets. If their existence is confirmed it...
View ArticleFrom boring to bursting: Giant black hole awakens
Astronomers are investigating the longest and most energetic bursts of X-rays seen from a newly awakened black hole. Watching this strange behavior unfold in real time offers a unique opportunity to...
View ArticleScientists may have solved a puzzling space rock mystery
Researchers may have answered one of space science's long-running questions -- and it could change our understanding of how life began. Carbon-rich asteroids are abundant in space yet make up less than...
View ArticleMysterious atmosphere of 'Rosetta Stone' exoplanet
A new study modeled the chemistry of TOI-270 d, an exoplanet between Earth and Neptune in size, finding evidence that it could be a giant rocky planet shrouded in a thick, hot atmosphere. TOI-270 d is...
View ArticleMolten Martian core could explain red planet's magnetic quirks
First ever supercomputer simulations of Mars with a fully molten core could explain the Red Planet's unusual magnetic field. Billions of years ago, Mars had an active magnetic field. Mysteriously, its...
View ArticleOn Jupiter, it's mushballs all the way down
Observations of Jupiter show that ammonia is unevenly distributed in the upper atmosphere, against expectations of uniform mixing. Scientists found evidence for a complicated but apparently real...
View Article'Cosmic radio' could find dark matter in 15 years
Scientists have designed a 'cosmic radio' detector which could discover dark matter in 15 years.
View ArticleThe most distant twin of the Milky Way ever observed
An international team has discovered the most distant spiral galaxy candidate known to date. This ultra-massive system existed just one billion years after the Big Bang and already shows a remarkably...
View ArticleCrystal clues on Mars point to watery and possibly life-supporting past
A new study analyzing data from NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered compelling evidence of multiple mineral-forming events just beneath the Martian surface -- findings that bring scientists one...
View Article'Big surprise': Astronomers find planet in perpendicular orbit around pair of...
Astronomers have found a planet that orbits at an angle of 90 degrees around a rare pair of peculiar stars. This is the first time we have strong evidence for one of these 'polar planets' orbiting a...
View ArticleStrongest hints yet of biological activity outside the solar system
Astronomers have detected the most promising signs yet of a possible biosignature outside the solar system, although they remain cautious.
View ArticleCuriosity rover finds large carbon deposits on Mars
Research from NASA's Curiosity rover has found evidence of a carbon cycle on ancient Mars.
View ArticleScientists probe the mystery of Titan's missing deltas
New research finds that despite large rivers and seas of liquid methane, Saturn's moon Titan seems mostly devoid of river deltas, raising new questions about the surface dynamics on this alien world.
View ArticleTurning down starlight to spot new exoplanets
Researchers have developed a new coronagraph that could make it possible to see distant exoplanets obscured by light from their parent stars.
View ArticleDid it rain or snow on ancient Mars? New study suggests it did
Geologists weigh in on a long-running debate about Mars: Billions of years ago, was the Red Planet warm and wet or cold and dry?
View ArticleAstronomers discover a planet that's rapidly disintegrating, producing a...
A planet 140 light-years from Earth is rapidly coming apart due to its close proximity to its star. The roasting planet is effectively evaporating away: It sheds an enormous amount of surface minerals...
View ArticleInnovative approaches advance search for ice on the moon
Scientists and space explorers have been on the hunt to determine where and how much ice is present on the Moon. Water ice would be an important resource at a future lunar base, as it could be used to...
View ArticleScientists use James Webb Space Telescope to better understand solar system's...
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists analyzed far-away bodies -- known as Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) -- and found varying traces of methanol. The discoveries are helping them...
View ArticleEvidence blasted into space: Mystery why some meteorites look less shocked...
Carbon-containing meteorites look like they had less severe impacts than those without carbon because the evidence was blasted into space by gases produced during the impact. The discovery not only...
View ArticleThe heart of world's largest solar telescope begins to beat
The world's largest solar telescope has reached an important milestone. The data published now were obtained during the technical commissioning of the instrument.
View ArticleAstronomers find Earth-like exoplanets common across the cosmos
Astronomers have discovered that super-Earth exoplanets are more common across the universe than previously thought. While it can be relatively easy to locate worlds that orbit close to their star,...
View ArticleVolcanic history and clues to ancient life on Mars
Researchers use the sophisticated technology on NASA's Perseverance rover to analyze volcanic rocks in Mars' Jezero Crater. Their findings show that some of the same volcanic processes that led to life...
View ArticleBillion-year-old impact in Scotland sparks questions about life on land
New research has revealed that a massive meteorite struck northwestern Scotland about 200 million years later than previously thought, in a discovery that not only rewrites Scotland's geological...
View ArticleNew research shatters long-held beliefs about asteroid Vesta
For decades, scientists believed Vesta, one of the largest objects in our solar system's asteroid belt, wasn't just an asteroid and eventually concluded it was more like a planet with a crust, mantle...
View ArticleNew look at galactic region surrounding our solar system: Lyman-alpha emissions
The NASA New Horizons spacecraft's extensive observations of Lyman-alpha emissions have resulted in the first-ever map from the galaxy at this important ultraviolet wavelength, providing a new look at...
View ArticleA vast molecular cloud, long invisible, is discovered near solar system
Astrophysicists have discovered a potentially star-forming cloud that is one of the largest single structures in the sky and among the closest to the sun and Earth ever to be detected. The scientists...
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