Space
- Astronomy
Heavy metal may rain from the skies of planet WASP 76b
Astronomers saw hints of iron rain on an ultrahot gas giant, an exoplanet where starlike atmospheric temperatures drive weird weather.
- Planetary Science
Some ‘superpuff’ exoplanets may actually be ringed worlds like Saturn
“Superpuff” planets look fluffy and light. But for some of the worlds, the effect could instead be explained by large, rocky rings, a study suggests.
- Planetary Science
Meet Perseverance, NASA’s newest Mars rover
NASA’s next Mars rover will be called Perseverance.
- Space
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin revealed stars’ composition and broke gender barriers
The book ‘What Stars Are Made Of’ celebrates the life of astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin.
- Space
A black hole eruption marks the most powerful explosion ever spotted
Hundreds of millions of years ago, a black hole blasted out roughly 100 billion times as much energy as the sun is expected to emit in its lifetime.
- Planetary Science
An ancient magma ocean may have once driven Earth’s magnetic field
Computer simulations of molten silicate under extreme temperatures and pressures may have just filled in a gap in the history of Earth’s magnetism.
- Space
50 years ago, scientists were studying why the sun’s corona is so hot
In 1970, scientists were hoping to learn why the sun’s corona is so hot during an eclipse. Fifty years later, the corona’s magnetic field may hold some answers.
- Planetary Science
China’s moon rover revealed what lies beneath the lunar farside
China’s Yutu-2 rover found layers of fine sand and coarse gravel under the surface of the moon’s farside.
- Space
NASA icon Katherine Johnson has died at the age of 101
The “Hidden Figure” captured the public’s admiration after the story of her career was publicized in a 2016 book and film.
- Space
What NASA’s InSight lander has learned about Mars’ magnetism and quakes
In its first 10 months, the InSight lander detected Marsquakes and an unexpectedly strong magnetic field at its landing site on the Red Planet.
- Physics
This fundamental constant of nature remains the same even near a black hole
A number that sets the strength of electromagnetic interactions isn’t altered by the extreme gravity around the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole.
- Astronomy
Molecular oxygen has been spotted beyond the Milky Way for the first time
Astronomers have detected molecular oxygen in another galaxy for the first time. The discovery is only the third sighting beyond our solar system.
