Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Planetary Science
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot has company. Meet the Great Cold Spot
A previously unidentified dark mark on Jupiter has been dubbed the “Great Cold Spot” because of its temperature and resemblance to the planet’s Great Red Spot.
- Science & Society
Einstein’s latest anniversary marks the birth of modern cosmology
A century ago, Einstein gave birth to modern cosmology by using his general theory of relativity to describe the universe.
- Astronomy
Squabbles in star nurseries result in celestial fireworks
Images from the ALMA observatory in Chile reveal that early days of stars can be just as fiery as their death.
- Astronomy
Massive red, dead galaxy spotted in young universe
A hefty red, dead galaxy may raise questions about how galaxies formed in the early universe.
- Astronomy
Event Horizon Telescope to try to capture images of elusive black hole edge
Network of radio observatories will attempt a first-ever glimpse at an event horizon.
- Planetary Science
Competing ideas abound for how Earth got its moon
The moon may have formed from one giant impact or from about 20 small ones.
- Tech
SpaceX launches and lands its first reused rocket
Aerospace company SpaceX has successfully reused a Falcon 9 rocket’s booster section for the first time.
- Planetary Science
Extreme gas loss dried out Mars, MAVEN data suggest
Over the planet’s history, the Martian atmosphere has lost 66 percent of its argon and a majority of its carbon dioxide, according to data from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft.
- Astronomy
Asteroid in Jupiter’s orbit goes its own way
Asteroid shares Jupiter’s orbit around the sun but travels in the opposite direction as the planet.
- Astronomy
Supermassive black hole gets kicked to the galactic curb
Gravitational waves may have given a supermassive black hole a big kick, with enough energy to send it flying toward the edges of its host galaxy.
- Planetary Science
It’s time to redefine what qualifies as a planet, scientists propose
Astronomers can have their definition of a planet, but some planetary scientists plan to stick to the long-held meaning of the word.
- Planetary Science
How Pluto’s haze could explain its red spots
Pluto’s collapsing atmosphere may explain the dwarf planet’s seemingly random ruddy spots.
