The Grand Texture of Planets
In an idle moment, while staring at a set of solar system data, it occurred to me that it might be interesting to display a set of planetary surfaces on an equal footing, where the overall texture of these worlds was visible (although topography is probably a more [...]
NASA Assures Skeptical Congress That the James Webb Telescope Is on Track
The program will not repeat past mistakes, officials vow, and will launch as planned in 2018
After a Martian Marathon, NASA's Opportunity Rover Faces Uncertain Future
It's been a long time coming, but this week NASA's Mars Opportunity rover completed the first-ever Martian marathon. After landing on the Red Planet in January 2004 on a mission originally planned to only last 90 days, Opportunity has instead endured for more than a decade, and has taken eleven years and two months to [...]
Fact or Fiction?: Dark Matter Killed the Dinosaurs
A new out-of-this-world theory links mass extinctions with exotic astrophysics and galactic architecture
What Are Black Hole Firewalls? [VIDEO]
Black holes break theories. These sites of extremely large masses in extremely small spaces invoke both of the behemoths of modern physics—general relativity (which rules over large masses) and quantum mechanics (which reigns in small spaces).
How to Watch the Total Solar Eclipse on Friday
Unless you live in the North Atlantic or Arctic region, the Internet is the best place to watch this event
That's What Ya Call a 4-Star Planet
Astronomers report the discovery of only the second quadruple-star system known to host at least one planet. But they suspect there are a lot more such systems out there. Lee Billings reports
Launch Tomorrow for Satellites Set to Solve Earth's Magnetic Mysteries
The Magnetospheric Multiscale mission's four satellites are designed to study the phenomenon responsible for powerful bursts of powerful magnetic particles
Hopped-Up Particle Accelerator Poised to Venture into the Realm of Exotic Physics
When the upgraded Large Hadron Collider restarts it will be capable of energies never before achieved, potentially unveiling novel particles and opening a window on the inner workings of the universe
Dawn Spacecraft Arrives at Ceres, Becomes First to Orbit a Dwarf Planet
Shortly after 7:30 am Eastern time this morning, a seven-year space voyage at last reached its final destination: NASA's Dawn mission entered orbit around Ceres, a small, icy world orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter.
Speediest Star's Origins Revealed
The Milky Way's fastest "hypervelocity" star probably picked up speed from a supernova
Scientists See Same Star Explode 4 Times
A galaxy-scale cosmic lens brings a faraway supernova into focus