Space
- Planetary Science
Rosetta prepares to let go of its comet lander
To date, everything is a go for scientists to attempt to land a robotic probe on a comet.
- Planetary Science
Comet delivered a showy meteor shower — on Mars
Comet Siding Spring dumped several tons of material into the Martian atmosphere that could have damaged NASA spacecraft.
- Astronomy
Infant worlds carve gaps in planet-forming disk
A new image shows planets sweeping up gas and dust in a disk encircling the infant star HL Tau.
- Astronomy
Nearly starless galaxies found in nearby cluster
Astronomers have found 47 galaxies with relatively few stars, something not predicted by any galaxy formation theories.
- Cosmology
Gamma rays offer mixed messages on identity of dark matter
Conflicting results from Fermi telescope puzzle astronomers about dark matter’s true identity.
- Astronomy
Amateur astronomer spots supernova in nearby galaxy
Koichi Itagaki noticed the exploding star as a brilliant point of light in the spiral galaxy M61.
- Astronomy
Rendezvous with a comet
On November 12, Rosetta mission scientists successfully completed the first-ever attempt to put a lander on a comet. See all Science News coverage of Rosetta and Philae's voyage to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
- Planetary Science
Water arrived on Earth earlier than thought
Ancient meteorites from the asteroid Vesta indicate that Earth’s water was available before planet formed.
- Science & Society
Asteroids closer to home may get us to Mars
NASA should abandon its attempt to bring a space rock into lunar orbit and instead scrutinize ones already whizzing by Earth, one scientist argues.
- Astronomy
Supersized sunspot is largest in decades
A colossal sunspot large enough to be seen with the naked eye now blemishes the nearside of the sun, covering an area wide enough to comfortably fit 10 Earths side by side.
- Planetary Science
Rosetta’s comet is starting to let off more gas
Rosetta's close encounter with comet 67P reveals the growth of its jets and what's in the comet's surrounding haze.
- Astronomy
Comets caught zooming around nearby star
The young star Beta Pictoris hosts at least two families of comets, which might mirror our solar system’s past.
