All Stories by Ron Cowen
- Astronomy
Assault on Andromeda: Nearby galaxy had recent collision
New findings suggest that a small galaxy recently plunged into Andromeda, opening a new window on collisions that are rare today but were common in the early universe.
- Astronomy
Record-breaking galaxy
Looking ever deeper into space and farther back in time, astronomers have found a galaxy more distant than any other known in the universe.
- Planetary Science
Ring Shots
With the sun poised behind Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft recently got a unique view of the rings' icy dust particles, enabling it to discover two new rings and confirm the presence of two ringlets.
- Astronomy
Enigmatic Eruption
An erupting star near the outskirts of the Milky Way has become one of the most puzzling objects in the galaxy.
- Planetary Science
Web Special: Welcome to Mars’ Victoria Crater
With stunningly powerful vision, the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken a remarkable picture that shows the exploration rover Opportunity poised on the rim of Victoria Crater on Mars.
- Astronomy
Jet Set: Astronomers identify the makeup of quasar streams
Astronomers have identified the particles in jets emanating from supermassive black holes as electrons and protons, which carry much more energy than some computer models had suggested.
- Astronomy
Oversize supernova
Researchers have found a supernova so luminous that it must have been produced by a much heavier star than the standard theory allows.
- Planetary Science
A discordant name for a dwarf planet
The largest known object at the fringes of the solar system, the icy body whose discovery heated up the debate about the nature of planethood, has an apt new name.
- Astronomy
Enigmatic Eruptions: Gamma-ray bursts lack supernova fireworks
The most powerful bursts in the universe may have gotten more mysterious.
- Planetary Science
SMART stop
The European Space Agency's first mission to the moon ended with a deliberate bang on Sept. 3.
- Planetary Science
Martian doings
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has finished reshaping its orbit, while the venerable rover Opportunity is approaching the rim of the widest and deepest crater it has yet visited.
- Astronomy
Temperamental Monsters
A new theory suggests that many huge stars undergo outbursts during which they shed most of their mass late in life rather than doing it gradually over their 3-to-4-million-year lifetimes.
