Space

Planetary Science

50 years ago, astronomers were chipping away at Pluto’s mass

Prior to the discovery of Pluto’s moon Charon, astronomers struggled to pin down the dwarf planet’s mass.

Cosmology

‘Flashes of Creation’ recounts the Big Bang theory’s origin story

In ‘Flashes of Creation,’ author Paul Halpern tells the story of George Gamow , Fred Hoyle and their decades-long sparring match about the Big Bang.

Astronomy

The definition of planet is still a sore point – especially among Pluto fans

In the 15 years since Pluto lost its planet status, scientists have continued to use the definition that works for them.

Astronomy

Here’s how cool a star can be and still achieve lasting success

The dividing line between successful stars and failed ones is a surface temperature of about 1,200° to 1,400° Celsius, a new study reports.

Planetary Science

See some of the most intriguing photos from NASA’s Perseverance rover so far

Six months ago, Perseverance landed on the Red Planet. Here’s what the rover has been observing.

Space

Vera Rubin’s work on dark matter led to a paradigm shift in cosmology

‘Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter, and Beyond’ tells the story of how astronomer Vera Rubin provided key evidence for the existence of dark matter.

Space

Jupiter’s intense auroras superheat its upper atmosphere

Jupiter’s hotter-than-expected upper atmosphere may be caused by high-speed charged particles slamming into the air high above the poles.

Astronomy

Measuring a black hole’s mass isn’t easy. A new technique could change that

The timing of flickers in the gas and dust in a black hole’s accretion disk correlates to its mass, a new study finds.

Space

A lunar magnetic field may have lasted for only a short time

New analyses of Apollo-era lunar rocks suggest that any magnetosphere that the moon ever had endured for no more than 500 million years.

Physics

A bounty of potential gravitational wave events hints at exciting possibilities

Of about 1,200 possible events, most are probably false alarms, but some could be ripples in spacetime that are especially hard to spot.

Physics

Black holes born with magnetic fields quickly shed them

New computer simulations show one way that black holes might discard their magnetic fields.

Astronomy

A super-short gamma-ray burst defies astronomers’ expectations

A faraway eruption of gamma rays that lasted for only a second had a surprising origin: the implosion of a massive star.