Space

Planetary Science

Nitrogen fizz fuels ‘magic island’ on Titan, simulation suggests

Nitrogen bubbles may be the source of the “magic island” on Saturn’s moon Titan.

Planetary Science

Food for microbes found on Enceladus

The underground ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus harbors an abundance of molecular hydrogen, which could be an important source of food if microbial life exists there.

Planetary Science

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot has company. Meet the Great Cold Spot

A previously unidentified dark mark on Jupiter has been dubbed the “Great Cold Spot” because of its temperature and resemblance to the planet’s Great Red Spot.

Science & Society

Einstein’s latest anniversary marks the birth of modern cosmology

A century ago, Einstein gave birth to modern cosmology by using his general theory of relativity to describe the universe.

Astronomy

Squabbles in star nurseries result in celestial fireworks

Images from the ALMA observatory in Chile reveal that early days of stars can be just as fiery as their death.

Astronomy

Massive red, dead galaxy spotted in young universe

A hefty red, dead galaxy may raise questions about how galaxies formed in the early universe.

Astronomy

Event Horizon Telescope to try to capture images of elusive black hole edge

Network of radio observatories will attempt a first-ever glimpse at an event horizon.

Planetary Science

Competing ideas abound for how Earth got its moon

The moon may have formed from one giant impact or from about 20 small ones.

Tech

SpaceX launches and lands its first reused rocket

Aerospace company SpaceX has successfully reused a Falcon 9 rocket’s booster section for the first time.

Planetary Science

Extreme gas loss dried out Mars, MAVEN data suggest

Over the planet’s history, the Martian atmosphere has lost 66 percent of its argon and a majority of its carbon dioxide, according to data from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft.

Astronomy

Asteroid in Jupiter’s orbit goes its own way

Asteroid shares Jupiter’s orbit around the sun but travels in the opposite direction as the planet.

Astronomy

Supermassive black hole gets kicked to the galactic curb

Gravitational waves may have given a supermassive black hole a big kick, with enough energy to send it flying toward the edges of its host galaxy.