Space

Planetary Science

Uranus smells like rotten eggs

Planetary scientists detected hydrogen sulfide in Uranus’ upper clouds — the same compound that gives rotten eggs their terrible smell.

Astronomy

Celebrity names now mark places on Pluto’s moon Charon

Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, now has 12 new names for its topological features.

Astronomy

NASA’s TESS spacecraft launches to begin its exoplanet search

After reaching its orbit in about two months, the telescope will start scanning nearby stars telltale dips in light that signal a passing planet.

Planetary Science

This meteorite’s diamonds hint that it was born in a lost planet

Bits of metal nestled inside diamonds suggest the space rock could have formed in a Mars-sized protoplanet in the early solar system.

Astronomy

Delayed launch of NASA’s next exoplanet hunter is now set for tonight

NASA’s next exoplanet hunter, TESS, launches today to seek planets in 85 percent of the sky.

Space

Lasers squeezed iron to mimic the conditions of exoplanet cores

In the first experiment to measure what exoplanets might be like on the inside, scientists hit iron with 176 lasers at once.

Astronomy

With the launch of TESS, NASA will boost its search for exoplanets

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite will set the stage for the next chapter of exoplanet exploration.

Physics

Einstein’s general relativity reveals new quirk of Mercury’s orbit

A tiny effect of general relativity on Mercury’s orbit has been calculated for the first time.

Particle Physics

The search for mysterious dark matter underdogs steps up

Dark matter particles called axions are finally being put to the test.

Astronomy

Dark matter isn’t interacting with itself after all

Hints that a distant galactic collision knocked dark matter askew fizzled with new observations.

Paleontology

Readers debate dinosaur designation and more

Readers had questions about the dino family tree and Venus' habitability.

Astronomy

A dozen new black holes found in Milky Way’s center

Twelve small black holes spotted in the Milky Way’s center suggest thousands more in the galaxy’s inner region.