Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Science & Society
These are the 5 most popular Science News stories of 2024
Science News drew millions of visitors to our website this year. Here’s a recap of the most-read and most-watched news stories of 2024.
- Space
50 years ago, astronomers saw the surface of a distant star for the first time
In the 1970s, technological advances let scientists peer through stars’ atmospheres. Now, scientists can measure roiling gas in the stars themselves.
- Life
These scientific feats set new records in 2024
Noteworthy findings include jumbo black hole jets, an ultrapetite frog, ancient asteroid remnants and more.
- Space
What will space exploration look like under Trump?
A lot is unknown, but the roles of billionaires like Elon Musk and Jared Isaacman suggests a focus on human and private spaceflight.
- Life
Here are 8 remarkable scientific firsts of 2024
Making panda stem cells, mapping a fruit fly’s brain and witnessing a black hole wake up were among the biggest achievements of the year.
- Space
These discoveries in 2024 could be groundbreaking — if they’re true
Did microbes ever live on Mars? Did an "elevator" help build Egypt’s first pyramid? Some signs pointed to yes this year, but confirmation is still needed.
- Space
The 2024 eclipse gave a rare view of the sun. Here’s a peek at early data
Teams are starting to analyze data from the total solar eclipse to learn more about the sun’s corona, gravity waves and changes in Earth’s ionosphere.
- Planetary Science
NASA’s Perseverance rover found a new potential setting for Martian life
Now atop Jezero Crater, the robotic explorer found quartz indicative of habitable environments and possibly the oldest rocks yet seen in the solar system.
- Space
Space missions spanned the solar system in 2024
Humankind accomplished new feats in space this year, including scooping up some of the moon’s farside and launching a probe to Jupiter’s moon Europa.
- Astronomy
Astronomers see the astrosphere of a sunlike star for the first time
Finding a bubble of hot gas blown by the stellar wind from a young star gives researchers a peek at what our sun was like when it was young.
- Space
A spacecraft duo will fly in formation to create artificial solar eclipses
ESA’s Proba-3 mission will use one satellite to block out the sun for another satellite, bringing the sun’s middle corona into new focus.
- Space
What will it take to defend the world from an asteroid?
In How to Kill an Asteroid, Robin George Andrews looks at the successes and shortcomings of planetary defense.
