Astronomy

Astronomy

In another universe, free-range planets could host life

If other universes exist, then those with denser galaxies might harbor a larger fraction of habitable worlds.

Astronomy

Brightest galaxy discovered

The brightest known galaxy is about 350 trillion times as bright as the sun, and a supermassive black hole is to blame.

Astronomy

Peeks into early life of supernovas show how to blow up a star

Multiple supernovas show off some of the ways a star can explode.

Astronomy

First quasar quartet discovered

A quartet of quasars seen in the early universe may mark where a massive galaxy cluster is starting to form.

Astronomy

Andromeda reaches out to touch Milky Way

The Andromeda galaxy is enveloped in a wispy halo of gas that extends halfway to the Milky Way.

Astronomy

Japanese satellite stalls in space and won’t reach its asteroids

Because of an engine failure, the Japanese Space Agency’s PROCYON spacecraft won’t make it to its target binary asteroid.

Astronomy

Erupting volcanoes may cause exoplanet’s temperature extremes

Temperatures fluctuate wildly on a nearby exoplanet, and volcanoes might be the culprit.

Astronomy

Amorphous space blob takes title for most distant galaxy

The new record holder for the most distant galaxy is a blob of 8 billion stars whose light took more than 13 billion years to reach Earth.

Astronomy

‘Black Hole’ traces 100 years of a transformative idea

Implied by general relativity and proven by astronomical discoveries, black holes’ existence took decades for physicists to accept.

Astronomy

Wandering planets, the smell of rain and more reader feedback

Readers consider how hard it would be to fashion Paleolithic tools, discuss what to call free-floating worlds and more.

Planetary Science

How did Earth get its water?

Earth is a wet planet that formed in a dry part of the solar system. How our planet’s water arrived may be a story of big, bullying planets and ice-filled asteroids.

Astronomy

Tiny explosions add up to heat corona

Millions of mini-explosions every second on the sun could solve the riddle of why the sun’s atmosphere is so much warmer than its surface.