Space
- Earth
Oldest zircon fine-tunes history of moon’s formation
Mineral bit provides clues about when our cosmic companion formed its crust.
- Space
Whiff of Martian methane offers lively possibilities
The definitive discovery in Mars’ atmosphere of methane — often, but not always, a compound hinting at life — introduces the possibility of underground organisms.
- Space
Tuned in to new noise from the cosmos
Unexplained radio noise may be signals from the early universe.
- Space
In the young universe, black holes may have formed first
Findings pose a possible answer to long-standing question of when the black holes at galactic centers formed.
- Space
Astronomers get burst of details from early universe
Unusually bright afterglow records what a galaxy was like soon after Big Bang.
- Space
Evolution, 3-D animation of Cassiopeia A
Videos chart old supernova remnant, give 3-D perspective
- Space
This just in: Milky Way as massive as 3 trillion suns
Heftier size puts our galaxy on par with its neighbor Andromeda, implying a closer collision date. Findings also suggest Milky Way has four spiral arms.
- Space
Core of the galaxy in high-res
New high-resolution mosaic sharpens understanding of Milky Way’s turbulent center.
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- Space
Lopsided universe demands different explanation
Cosmologists analyzing an apparent asymmetry in the pattern of radiation reveal evidence for a new type of field in the early universe.
- Space
Atom & Cosmos: Science news of the year, 2008
Science News writers and editors looked back at the past year's stories and selected a handful as the year's most interesting and important in Atom & Cosmos. Follow hotlinks to the full, original stories.
- Earth
Solar wind pushes atmospheric breathing
New analyses of satellite data show that cycles of expansion and contraction are tied to changes in the solar wind.
