Astronomy

  1. Astronomy

    Readers were curious about pendulum saws, laser tweezers and more

    Readers had questions about Bronze Age pendulum saws, dark matter, lazer tweezers and more.

    By
  2. Astronomy

    The sun shrinks a teensy bit when it’s feeling active

    The radius of the sun gets slightly smaller during periods of high solar activity, researchers say.

    By
  3. Particle Physics

    If real, dark fusion could help demystify this physics puzzle

    Fusing dark matter particles might explain why galaxy cores have evenly distributed dark matter.

    By
  4. Astronomy

    Take a virtual trip to an alien world

    NASA’s Exoplanet Travel Bureau website lets you view what alien landscapes might look like.

    By
  5. Astronomy

    A neutron star crash may have spawned a black hole

    The neutron collision that took the astronomical community by storm last year probably created a black hole, researchers say.

    By
  6. Astronomy

    Two-faced star reveals a pulsar’s surprising bulk

    An ultramassive pulsar is frying its stellar companion so that the star shows two different temperatures.

    By
  7. Astronomy

    Astronomers scrutinized last year’s eclipse. Here’s what they’ve learned

    Astronomers observed the 2017 total solar eclipse from the ground and the air, and found some never-before-seen features of the sun’s atmosphere.

    By
  8. Astronomy

    Pluto’s demotion ignores astronomical history

    A historical review of asteroids’ planetary status suggests Pluto’s demotion was not justified.

    By
  9. Astronomy

    Plasma rain in the sun’s atmosphere falls in surprising places

    Scientists found rain in the sun’s corona where they didn’t expect it, which could help solve the mystery of why the corona is so hot.

    By
  10. Astronomy

    Maverick asteroid might be an immigrant from outside the solar system

    A space rock’s backward orbit could be a hint of unusual origins.

    By
  11. Cosmology

    These stars may have been born only 250 million years after the Big Bang

    Scientists find evidence that stars were forming just 250 million years after the universe was born.

    By
  12. Astronomy

    The recipes for solar system formation are getting a rewrite

    A new understanding of exoplanets and their stars is rewriting the recipes for planet formation.

    By