Astrophysics
Why Do Astronomers Seek the Most Distant Galaxies?
By finding and studying the universe’s oldest objects, we can reveal hidden fundamental chapters of cosmic history
Astrophysics1357 articles archived since 1845
Astronomy
Ukrainian Astronomers Discover ‘Exocomets’ around Another Star
The alien comets could illuminate the history of their planetary system
Astrophysics
The History of the Milky Way Comes into Focus
By dating nearly a quarter-million stars, astronomers were able to reconstruct the history of our galaxy—and they say it has lived an “enormously sheltered life.”
Astrophysics
Are Telescopes the Only Way to Find Dark Matter?
If the invisible matter does not appear in experiments or particle colliders, we may have to find it in space
Extraterrestrial Life
Researchers Made a New Message for Extraterrestrials
An updated communication could be beamed out for space alien listeners in hopes of making first contact
Astrophysics
Astronomers See a Bizarre Space Circle in Unprecedented Detail
Researchers have sighted only a handful of these odd radio circles and are trying to pin down what causes them
Astrophysics
A Stunning Image Shows Stars Aligned for the James Webb Space Telescope
With its mirrors now focused, the observatory’s science instruments are now being readied for work
Astrophysics
Eugene Parker, Namesake of NASA’s Sun-Touching Spacecraft, Dies at Age 94
The eminent astrophysicist changed the way we view our home star
Astronomy
Record-Breaking Supernova Is Part of a New Class of Objects
A recently spotted bright light in the sky is improving astronomers’ understanding of stellar death
Astrophysics
ArXiv.org Reaches a Milestone and a Reckoning
Runaway success and underfunding have led to growing pains for the preprint server
Astrophysics
Astronomers Report a Monstrous Eruption from a Supermagnetic Star
In a fraction of a second, the outburst released as much energy as our sun produces in 100,000 years
Astrophysics
Hollywood Can Take On Science Denial: Don’t Look Up Is a Great Example
This new release uses a comet hurtling toward Earth to satirize the way we dismiss scientific facts and the scientists who discover them
Astrophysics
NASA Spacecraft ‘Touches’ the Sun for the First Time Ever
The Parker Solar Probe has passed through a boundary and into the Sun’s atmosphere, gathering data that will help scientists better understand stars
Astrophysics
NASA Launches IXPE, a New X-ray Space Telescope
The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer will probe the physics behind black holes, neutron stars and other dynamic cosmic objects
Astrophysics
Mysterious Fast Radio Bursts Are Finally Coming into Focus
Twenty years after their initial detection, enigmatic blasts from the sky are starting to deliver tentative answers, as well as plenty of science
Astrophysics
Astrophysicists Unveil Glut of Gravitational-Wave Detections
The latest bounty of 35 events features oddball black holes and a miniature neutron star
Astrophysics
Hunt for Alien Life Tops Next-Gen Wish List for U.S. Astronomy
A major report outlining the highest priorities and recommendations for U.S. astronomy has finally been released, revealing the shape of things to come
Astrophysics
The Solar System’s Mysterious Magnetic Fields
Most of our neighboring planets have magnetic fields, but scientists do not fully understand how they arise
Astrophysics
FAST, the World’s Largest Radio Telescope, Zooms in on a Furious Cosmic Source
China’s Five-Hundred-Meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope has detected more than 1,600 fast radio bursts from a single enigmatic system
Astrophysics
The Physics and Hype of Hypersonic Weapons
These novel missiles cannot live up to the grand promises made on their behalf, aerodynamics shows
