Astronomy

Astronomy

Gamma-ray bursts may repeatedly wipe out life

Brief bursts of high-energy radiation may sterilize most planets across the universe, hampering the chances for widespread intelligent life.

Astronomy

Year in review: Kepler gets second chance at life

This year, Kepler engineers figured out how to stabilize the almost-defunct Kepler telescope, while astronomers found hundreds more worlds.

Planetary Science

Rosetta casts doubt on comets as Earth’s water providers

Water in comet 67P’s thin, hazy atmosphere doesn’t chemically match Earth’s oceans, suggesting that asteroids, not comets, brought water to the planet.

Astronomy

Radio burst from beyond Milky Way detected in real time

First real-time detection of radio burst from outside galaxy triggers worldwide hunt for cause of mysterious signals.

Astronomy

NASA’s Orion spacecraft has flawless first test flight

NASA’s new vehicle for human exploration of deep space has successfully completed its first unmanned test flight.

Astronomy

Starlight robs galaxy of stellar ingredients

Light from newborn stars drives gas out of a distant galaxy, a process that may prevent future stars from being born.

Cosmology

Most precise snapshot of the universe unveiled

New results from the Planck satellite provide the most detailed look yet of the makeup of the universe.

Planetary Science

Comet lander’s exploration cut short

The comet lander Philae made history with its touchdown on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, but a series of small hiccups prevented the robot from recharging its batteries, giving it only about 57 hours to explore the alien world.

Cosmology

Galaxies may be aligned across 1 billion light-years

Powerful plasma jets from cores of galaxies seem to mysteriously align with one another and hint at an unknown mechanism shaping galaxy groups.

Planetary Science

Planets stake their claim around infant star

At the center of the newly released telescope image is HL Tau, a star located about 450 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. A dense disk of gas and dust surrounds the star, which is a youthful million years old.

Planetary Science

Philae lander sent in a surprise before going to sleep

The robotic probe that landed on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has beamed back some surprises about the icy boulder.

Astronomy

Good night, Philae

The Philae lander has depleted its batteries and gone into idle mode, probably drawing to a close the surface-based study of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.