headshot of Associate News Editor Christopher Crockett

Christopher Crockett

Associate News Editor

Christopher Crockett is an Associate News Editor. He was formerly the astronomy writer from 2014 to 2017, and he has a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California, Los Angeles.

All Stories by Christopher Crockett

  1. Planetary Science

    Juno spacecraft is on its final approach to Jupiter

    Everything looks good for the Juno spacecraft, which arrives at Jupiter on July 4.

  2. Astronomy

    Asteroid Day is a chance to learn about space and plan for disaster

    Asteroid Day on June 30 tries to raise awareness about the hazards of an asteroid impact and what we could do to stop it.

  3. Planetary Science

    Jupiter shows off its infrared colors

    Jupiter glows with infrared light in new images taken in preparation for the July 4 arrival of the Juno spacecraft.

  4. Astronomy

    Possible perp found in mystery of Milky Way’s missing galaxy pals

    Billions of years of supernovas could explain why galaxies like the Milky Way have so few tiny companions and why those companions have so little mass.

  5. Planetary Science

    Earth has a tiny tagalong, and no, it’s not a moon

    Asteroid 2016 HO3 is a quasisatellite of Earth — orbiting the sun while never wandering far from our planet.

  6. Planetary Science

    Ancient meteorite granules still mystify scientists

    Shock waves might have formed the oldest solid fragments in the solar system, though interplanetary lightning isn’t entirely off the table.

  7. Physics

    More events needed to pin down gravitational waves backstory

    As more black hole collisions are found, researchers hope to piece together how and where these destructive duos form.

  8. Astronomy

    Bulging stars mess with planet’s seasons

    On planets orbiting rapidly rotating stars, the seasons can get a little strange.

  9. Planetary Science

    Juno is closing in on Jupiter

    After 5 years of travel, Juno will soon reach Jupiter and begin its up close investigations of the giant planet.

  10. Planetary Science

    The 43-year history of journeys to Jupiter, in one graph

    With the arrival of Juno, nine spacecraft will have flown past or orbited Jupiter over the last 43 years.

  11. Astronomy

    Molecular handedness found in space

    Propylene oxide in an interstellar cloud sets up a testing ground for understanding why life chooses one type of mirror-image molecule over another.

  12. Astronomy

    Limestone world gobbled by planet-eating white dwarf

    Debris from a shredded planet points to a world that was once covered in calcium carbonate.