Astronomy

Astronomy

Watch an experimental space shield shred a speeding bullet

Engineers tested how well a prototype shield for spacecraft would stand up to space debris by shooting it with a solid aluminum pellet.

Planetary Science

Readers weigh in on human gene editing and more

Readers debated feeling morally obligated to edit their kid's genes and had questions about exoplanets.

Astronomy

An amateur astronomer caught a supernova explosion on camera

An amateur astronomer has caught a supernova explosion on camera.

Astronomy

James Webb Space Telescope challenges artists to see in infrared

Astronomy artists face new challenges in translating James Webb’s invisible data into visuals.

Planetary Science

What will it take to go to Venus?

Undeterred by funding woes, scientists are scraping together ideas to tackle heat, pressure and acidity challenges of landing on Venus.

Astronomy

Readers ask about supernovas, dark energy and more

Readers had questions about a supernova that continuously erupts, the difference between dark energy and dark matter, and more.

Astronomy

SpaceX just launched its biggest rocket for the first time

SpaceX just launched the Falcon Heavy — the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V — for the first time.

Astronomy

Some of TRAPPIST-1’s planets could have life-friendly atmospheres

The seven planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 are probably rocky and some may have life-friendly atmospheres, two new papers suggest.

Astronomy

Universes with no weak force might still have stars and life

An alternate universe that lacks one of the four fundamental forces might still have galaxies, stars, planets and perhaps life, a new study suggests.

Cosmology

Readers wonder about the universe’s expansion and more

Readers had questions about the universe's accelerating expansion, a hidden void in the Great Pyramid of Giza and what happens to human waste in space.

Astronomy

The X-ray glow keeps growing after the recent neutron star collision

X-rays from a neutron star collision have been getting brighter, and scientists are debating why.

Astronomy

Stars with too much lithium may have stolen it

Some small stars have extra lithium before they grow old, suggesting they get extra amounts of the element from an external source.