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.
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All Stories by Christopher Crockett
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Astronomy
Mercury is about to make a rare journey across the face of the sun
On May 9, Mercury will make a rare appearance as a small dot passing across the face of the sun.
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Astronomy
Nearby exoplanet trio new target in search for life
Three nearby exoplanets might be good spots to go looking for signs of alien life.
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Astronomy
Japan’s latest X-ray telescope is officially dead
The Japanese space agency has officially declared its latest X-ray telescope a loss.
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Planetary Science
Hubble telescope finds small moon orbiting dwarf planet Makemake
Hubble Space Telescope images from April 2015 show that the dwarf planet Makemake has a tiny moon.
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Planetary Science
Tiny moon orbits dwarf planet
Hubble Space Telescope images from April 2015 show that the dwarf planet Makemake has a tiny moon.
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Astronomy
Gas blasts from black holes show surprising alignment
Unexpected alignment of galactic gas geysers might offer new insight into how galaxies and black holes arise from the cosmic web.
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Astronomy
Hubble telescope snaps stunning pic for its 26th birthday
For its 26th anniversary, the Hubble Space Telescope snapped a picture of star blowing bubbles in space.
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Astronomy
To find ET, look at who’s (maybe) looking at us
To listen for aliens, two astronomers suggest that we focus on stars whose inhabitants can see Earth periodically cross in front of our sun.
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Astronomy
New telescopes will search for signs of life on distant planets
Researchers are coming up with creative ways to pick up biosignatures in far-away planetary atmospheres.
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Astronomy
Kepler telescope readies for new mission after communications scare
The Kepler space telescope has recovered from going into emergency mode and is now ready for its next planet-hunting mission.
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Astronomy
Key sugar needed for life could have formed in space
Sugar that forms backbone of cell machinery can form on icy grains blasted by ultraviolet light from young stars.
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Astronomy
There’s far more to the galaxy than meets the eye
A new map of the galaxy as seen in submillimeter light reveals intricate details from nearby nebulas to the far-flung galactic center.