The colossal ‘Tasmanian devil’ exploding in space

Last year, global astronomers picked up evidence of an explosion called a luminous fast blue optical transient, or LFBOT. But the bizarre thing about this explosion was that it kept exploding.

New study finds lunar swirls linked to topography

Every lunar swirl identified to date coincides with a magnetic field over the lunar surface, which scientists think deflects solar particles. There also seems to be a connection between lunar swirls and lava tubes buried beneath them.

Hubble confirms Earth-sized exoplanet only 22 light years away

The chances of finding extraterrestrial life have improved slightly after NASA announced that its Hubble Space Telescope has confirmed the size of an Earth-sized exoplanet only 22 light-years from Earth.

A green glow in the martian night

When future astronauts explore Mars's polar regions, they will see a green glow lighting up the night sky. For the first time, a visible nightglow has been detected in the martian atmosphere by ESA's ExoMars mission.

Webb Telescope Spots the Second Most Distant Galaxy Yet

A recent deep field image from the Webb Space Telescope features two galaxies. These galaxies are remarkable for their distance from Earth, being the second and fourth most distant galaxies ever observed.

Astronomers spot aurora on the sun for the 1st time

Scientists have spotted a stunning "aurora-like" display of crackling radio waves over the surface of the sun that is strikingly similar to the Northern Lights on Earth.

Powerful space explosion shook Earth's atmosphere

The burst that originated some 2.4 billion light-years away from Earth and struck the planet on 9 October last year may have led to changes in the upper ionosphere, according to a new study.

Our Galaxy's Heart Is Pulsing With a Mysterious Signal

Every 76 minutes, like clockwork, the gamma-ray flux of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole in our galaxy, fluctuates, suggesting an orbital motion of something whirling madly around the black hole.

Webb Prompts New Thinking About Planet Formation

Instruments on NASA's Webb telescope are providing new clues about the time window when planets can form around a young star.

Oxygen directly detected in Venus clouds

Researchers have made the first direct detection of atomic oxygen in the atmosphere of Venus. Some say it builds the case the planet was more hospitable in the past.

Saturn's Ocean Moon Enceladus Has All The Building Blocks For Life

Most of what we know about Enceladus and its ice-covered ocean comes from the Cassini mission. New research based on Cassini data strengthens the idea that Enceladus has the chemicals necessary for life.

Oldest black hole found, and it may solve a cosmic mystery

Two NASA space telescopes teamed up to scrutinize a distant galaxy and discovered something mind-boggling: a gargantuan black hole inside a galaxy that’s more than 13 billion years old. 

Most Martian meteorites are curiously young in age

Most meteorites from Mars are just a few hundred million years old, and likely come from relatively recent volcanic events such as the eruptions on the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons.

Scorching, Seven-Planet System Revealed by New Kepler Exoplanet List

A system of seven sweltering planets has been revealed by continued study of data from NASA's retired Kepler space telescope: Each one is bathed in more radiant heat from their host star per area than any planet in our solar system.

Scientists discover alien planet debris buried deep under Earth's crust

Long ago, an alien planet crashed into Earth – causing a collision so big the debris formed the Moon and left mysterious remnants lodged deep in the Earth’s mantle.