Astrophysics

Scientists still can’t explain what is causing unusually bright explosions in space—but a surprising observation might offer clues

Two orbiting stars are causing unsustainably large tides as they draw closer together

Several unexplained measurements are threatening to upend scientists’ understanding of the universe’s origin and fate

Strange patterns in the orbits of small objects in the outer solar system could be explained by gaps in our understanding of gravity rather than an as-yet-unseen new world

An enormous “Miyake event”—a bombardment of Earth by particles from the sun—hit 14,300 years ago. Such an event today would have devastating effects

Worlds around red giant stars—and others that don’t orbit any star at all—hint at an unexpected diversity of possibilities for planets and life in the universe

An astronomy festival in Italy opted to make all of its events and workshops multisensory. The organizers wanted to see whether sound, touch and smell can, like sight, transmit the wonders of the cosmos.

A blind astronomer “sonified” the universe’s most explosive events: gamma-ray bursts. By listening to, rather than looking at, the data, she made a critical discovery and changed the field of astronomy.

Space is famously silent, but astronomers and musicians are increasingly turning astronomical data into sound as a way to make discoveries and inspire people who are blind or visually impaired.

A new interpretation of Isaac Newton’s writings clarifies what the father of classical mechanics meant in his first law of motion

Yellow, white or maybe even green—the sun’s hue depends on how you see it

Scientists debate what the future of the cosmos looks like and whether space will ever stop getting bigger and bigger