Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Astronomy
The first suspected exomoon may remain hidden for another decade
The discoverers of the first evidence for a moon orbiting a planet around a distant star are still trying to confirm the object’s existence.
- Cosmology
A cosmic flare called the ‘Cow’ may reveal a new way that stars die
A burst of light from far away may have been an odd type of exploding star or a white dwarf being eaten by a black hole.
- Cosmology
A second repeating fast radio burst has been tracked to a distant galaxy
Astronomers have spotted a second repeating fast radio burst, and it looks a lot like the first.
- Astronomy
Less than a year after launch, TESS is already finding bizarre worlds
The TESS exoplanet hunter has spotted eight confirmed worlds in its first four months, and several of them are really weird.
- Planetary Science
China just landed the first spacecraft on the moon’s farside
China’s Chang’e-4 lander and rover just became the first spacecraft to land on the farside of the moon.
- Planetary Science
New Horizons shows Ultima Thule looks like a snowman, or maybe BB-8
Ultima Thule’s snowmanlike shape shows the New Horizons target was probably two space rocks that got stuck together.
- Astronomy
Known as the ‘mother of Hubble,’ astronomer Nancy Roman dies at 93
Astronomer Nancy Roman, the “mother of Hubble,” has died.
- Planetary Science
Live updates: New Horizons’ flyby of a distant Kuiper Belt object
The New Horizons spacecraft is ready for the most distant close flyby of a rocky object in the solar system, a rocky body called MU69 or Ultima Thule.
- Astronomy
These are the most-read Science News stories of 2018
From male birth control to wombat poop, Science News online readers had a wide variety of favorite stories on our website.
- Astronomy
50 years ago, astronauts orbited the moon for the first time
Apollo 8 launched on December 21, 1968, with three astronauts on board, making 10 revolutions around the moon — the first manned lunar orbits.
- Astronomy
2018 was a busy year in space
This year, some missions started exploring the cosmos, while others were winding down.
- Astronomy
These 2018 findings could be big news — if they turn out to be true
Discoveries about fossils, the Big Bang and more could shake up the scientific world – if they turn out to be true.
