Ron Cowen

All Stories by Ron Cowen

  1. Astronomy

    In the Beginning: More early clues for life at home, out there

    Astronomers move closer to understanding how life arose on Earth and how it could arise elsewhere.

  2. Astronomy

    From Dark Matter to Light

    Recent surveys of the shapes, colors, and masses of galaxies have put a new focus on the nitty-gritty of galaxy formation—the complicated physics of the interaction of gas.

  3. Astronomy

    State of the Universe: Microwave glow powers cosmic insights

    Radiation left over from the Big Bang offers researchers unprecedented cosmic understanding.

  4. Physics

    Too speedy for gravity?

    A new analysis suggests that five different spacecraft gained more speed as they flew past Earth than can be accounted for by Einstein's theory of gravitation.

  5. Astronomy

    Supernova Outbreak: X rays signal earliest alert

    Thanks to a lucky break and an overactive galaxy, astronomers report the earliest detection yet of a normal supernova—the explosive death of a massive star.

  6. Astronomy

    Web Special: Supernova Outbreak—X rays signal earliest alert

    MARCH 5 — Thanks to a lucky break and an overactive galaxy, astronomers report the earliest detection yet of a normal supernova—the explosive death of a massive star. Advance article from March 8 issue.

  7. Astronomy

    Hefty Find: Density has starring role in making stars massive

    Astronomers find new insights into how massive stars form.

  8. Astronomy

    Stellar Switch: Sun not alone in making magnetic flip-flops

    After years of searching, researchers have for the first time documented that a star other than the sun flips its magnetic poles.

  9. Astronomy

    Organic ring around nearby star

    Researchers have found the first evidence that a dust ring around another star, the likely vestige of recent planet formation, contains complex organic molecules that could be the building blocks of life.

  10. Astronomy

    Where stars are born

    Some 300 young stars, hidden in visible light, shine through the dust in a new infrared portrait of the main cloud of a nearby star-forming region called Rho Ophiuchi.

  11. Astronomy

    Going the Distance: Galaxies may hail from early universe

    Using a cosmic magnifying glass to peer into the deepest reaches of space, two teams of astronomers have discovered tiny galaxies that may be among the most distant known.

  12. Planetary Science

    Dusty Clues: Study suggests no dearth of Earths

    A new study suggests that many, or perhaps most, sunlike stars have planets much like Earth.