Astronomy

Astronomy

Astronauts set to return to Earth after nearly a year in space

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko are scheduled to return Earth on Tuesday after a record-setting 340 days in space.

Astronomy

Fast radio burst tracked to its galaxy of origin

After years of searching, astronomers finally track an elusive cosmic radio signal to its home: a galaxy about 6 billion light-years away.

Astronomy

Black hole heavyweights triggered gravity wave event

Those gravity waves came from two black holes more massive than any known outside a galactic core and formed in an environment different than the Milky Way.

Astronomy

Planets may emerge from stellar duo gathering icy dust

Gas freezing onto dust grains around a binary star could be setting up a site where comets or even planets might someday form.

Physics

‘Gravity waves’ is an OK way to refer to gravitational radiation

There’s not lexicographical basis for complaints that ‘gravity wave’ is incorrect usage for gravitational waves.

Physics

The long road to detecting gravity waves

Thanks to two colliding black holes, Einstein's historic prediction of gravitational waves disturbing the fabric of spacetime has finally been realized.

Physics

Gravitational waves explained

Colliding black holes send ripples through spacetime that can be detected here on Earth. What are these gravitational waves, and how did Advanced LIGO detect them?

Physics

Gravity waves from black holes verify Einstein’s prediction

Gravitational waves, tremors in the cosmic fabric of space and time predicted by Einstein a century ago, have finally been detected, opening a new avenue for exploring the universe.

Astronomy

Readers tussle over top science stories of 2015

Readers tussle over the top spot in our top 25, questions about engineered vocal cords, and more in the February 20 Feedback.

Astronomy

In all sorts of circumstances, life finds a way

Editor in Chief discusses the new marine habitats formed by human pollution and the alarming rise of the Zika virus.

Science & Society

Soviets nailed first landing on moon

The first spacecraft to safely land on the moon touched down on the lunar surface in 1966.

Astronomy

Largest rocky world found

A planet roughly half the size of Neptune might be 100 percent rock, making it the largest known rocky world.