Space

Astronomy

A New Spin

Using a flotilla of spacecraft to study X-ray emissions from the vicinity of black holes, astronomers are nudging ever closer to the whirlpool of activity surrounding these gravitational monsters.

Planetary Science

The Big Picture: Cassini spies Titan’s tall mountains

A spacecraft has discovered the largest mountains known on Titan, Saturn's smog-shrouded moon.

Planetary Science

Craft reveals Martian site of ancient water

The distribution of materials in this composite image of the Nili Fossae region of Mars tells scientists that water resided there no more recently than nearly 4 billion years ago. Green indicates clay minerals that formed in a wet environment. Red depicts the mineral olivine, which formed about 3.8 billion years ago, according to the […]

Planetary Science

Signs of recent water on Mars

Pictures showing fresh deposits of bright material on two Martian gullies provide the most compelling evidence yet that water flowed on parts of the Red Planet during the last few years.

Astronomy

Comet Sampler: Specimens show that inner and outer solar system mixed

Just as the solar system was forming some 4.6 billion years ago, some of the hottest material, residing so close to the sun that it was almost vaporized, sped out to the chilliest reaches of deep space, where it became incorporated into comets.

Astronomy

The magnetic link between star and planet

Astronomers have for the first time directly measured the magnetic field of a star known to host a giant planet.

Planetary Science

So long, Surveyor

After 8 years of relaying pictures, topographic maps, magnetic field data, and compositional information from above the Red Planet, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft appears to have called it quits.

Planetary Science

Howdy, Neighbors: Long-term study finds a batch of red dwarfs

Astronomers have found 20 previously unknown star systems that lie within 33 light-years of Earth.

Astronomy

What’s a Planet?

Recent observations have blurred distinctions among stars, brown dwarfs, and planets.

Astronomy

Cosmic Pops: Nearby galaxy is hotbed of supernova formation

Large galaxies usually have no more than three supernovas blow up in a century, but the nearby galaxy NGC 1316 has had two such explosions within the past 5 months and four in the past 26 years.

Astronomy

Dark Fingerprints: Hubble sheds light on cosmic expansion

The mysterious cosmic push that's tearing up the universe began revving up about 5 billion years ago.

Astronomy

Nearest extrasolar planet

Astronomers have confirmed the existence of the nearest known planet beyond the solar system.