Space & Physics
What the Oldest Meteorites Say about the Early Solar System
Microscopic analyses of chondrites, the oldest rocks in the solar system, are filling in details of what our neighborhood in space was like shortly before the planets formed
Astrophysics1380 articles archived since 1845
Space & Physics
Alien Auroras May Light Up Exoplanet Night Skies
Scientists have found evidence of polar lights on exoplanets and hope the discovery will add insight as to the strength of a planet's magnetic field
Space & Physics
Gamma-Ray Burst Fingered for Carbon 14 Spike in A.D. 774
Tree-ring data from A.D. 774 show a sudden spike in radioactive carbon 14, pointing to a burst of charged particles or high-energy radiation that struck Earth. A relatively nearby gamma-ray burst could be the culprit...
Space & Physics
Right Again, Einstein! New Study Supports "Cosmological Constant"
Recent findings back up Einstein's thinking and cast doubt on "rolling scalar fields," an alternative theory of dark energy that suggests the accelerated expansion of the universe will change over time...
Space & Physics
Cosmic Cliff: An Astrophysicist Searches for Exo-Earths, Black Holes—and Funding
Kepler space telescope astrophysicist Martin Still looks for Earth-like worlds and tracks the death of stars as he ponders the possible demise of his own program
Space & Physics
Following Flare-Ups, Star Finally Explodes
After a few false alarms, the star SN 2009ip appears to have gone supernova at last. John Matson reports
Space & Physics
Solar System’s Moons May Have Emerged from Long-Gone Rings
The solar system's moons may have emerged from long-gone planetary baubles
Space & Physics
Star Near Our Solar System May Be the Oldest Known
The proximity of HD 140283, at 186 light-years from our solar system, made it a target of a highly precise age measurement that put it at 13.2 billion years old
Space & Physics
Scientists Extend Einstein’s Relativity to the Universe’s First Moments
New calculations extend Einstein's general theory of relativity into the universe's first few moments
Space & Physics
Milky Way May Contain 100 Billion Planets
Based on exoplanet observations made using the Kepler space telescope, astronomers estimate that our galaxy's ratio of stars to planets is at least one to one. Karen Hopkin reports
Space & Physics
Black Hole Firewalls Confound Theoretical Physicists
If a new hypothesis about black hole firewalls proves correct, at least one of three cherished notions in theoretical physics must be wrong.
Space & Physics
Shadow Dance: Cassini Captures Dramatic Panorama of Saturn Backlit by the Sun
The giant planet Saturn looks a bit like a delicate Christmas ornament in a new photomosaic released by NASA.
Space & Physics
Shifty Sightings: Hubble Images Reveal 7 of the Most Distant Galaxies Ever Seen
The latest finds from Hubble date to just a few hundred million years after the big bang
Space & Physics
Newfound Asteroid Buzzes Earth inside Moon's Orbit
Researchers discovered the asteroid shortly before it came within 225,000 kilometers of the planet
Space & Physics
Space Bursts Provide Insight into Theory of Everything
Gamma rays emitted during the formation of neutron stars and black holes allow scientists to study fundamental principles like superstring theory
Space & Physics
Double-Star Systems May Hide a Third Companion
Scientists speculate that an energetic "kick" could boot a star out of orbit and drive the remaining pair closer together
Space & Physics
Galaxy Grande: Milky Way May Be More Massive Than Thought
Hubble observations of a speedy galaxy weigh on the Milky Way and indicate that our galaxy is at least a trillion times as massive as the sun
Space & Physics
Solar System's Moons May Have Emerged from Long-Gone Planetary Rings
Ancient, Saturn-like ring systems may have acted as assembly lines for natural satellites
Space & Physics
Is the Milky Way a Cannibal? An Astronomer Travels to the Driest Place on Earth to Find Out
At the driest place on Earth, one astronomer sifts through starlight to find clues about the Milky Way's evolution. Here is her account of a typical trip, based on four days in March 2011...
Space & Physics
Single Photon Could Detect Quantum-Scale Black Holes
Tabletop experiment proposed to show whether space-time is made of indivisible units.
