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

    Asteroid set for Halloween flyby

    Large asteroid will pass Earth just beyond the moon’s orbit on Halloween.

  2. Astronomy

    Comet carries alcohol, sugar

    Sugar and alcohol are just two of the ingredients that go into making a comet.

  3. Astronomy

    White dwarf upsets planetary system, consumes evidence

    Rocky planets are disintegrating around a white dwarf, the core of a dead star.

  4. Astronomy

    White dwarf upsets planetary system, consumes evidence

    Rocky planets are disintegrating around a white dwarf, the core of a dead star.

  5. Astronomy

    Dead stars team up for supernova explosions

    Three type 1a supernovas show hints of being triggered by collisions between pairs of white dwarfs.

  6. Astronomy

    Using general relativity to magnify the cosmos

    Astronomers have Einstein to thank for the tools that bring far-away galaxies and maybe even black hole collisions into view.

  7. Astronomy

    First stars may lurk in our galactic neighborhood

    Representatives from the first generation of stars might be hiding in our cosmic backyard, masked by interstellar pollution.

  8. Planetary Science

    Ceres mountains and craters named for food

    A host of agricultural spirits are immortalized on several craters and mountains on the dwarf planet Ceres.

  9. Planetary Science

    Salt streaks sign of present-day water flows on Mars

    Salt deposits on Mars hint at contemporary seasonal water flows on the Red Planet.

  10. Planetary Science

    Salt streaks point to present-day water flows on Mars

    Salt deposits on Mars hint at contemporary seasonal water flows on the Red Planet.

  11. Planetary Science

    67P reveals recipe for a comet

    Rosetta’s comet 67P probably started out as two smaller comets.

  12. Planetary Science

    Mysterious circles appear, grow on comet

    The Rosetta spacecraft caught five circular depressions quickly spreading across a region of comet 67P.