Space & Physics
Japanese X-Ray Satellite Loses Communication with Earth
Future of the major astronomy probe remains unclear as pieces of space debris are reported
Stories by Alexandra Witze
Space & Physics
NASA Reschedules Troubled Mars InSight Mission to 2018
Instrument problems prevented the Martian lander from launching in March 2016 as planned
Space & Physics
E.T. Search: Look for the Aliens Looking for Earth
Astronomers propose hunting for civilizations on worlds that can see our planet cross the sun
The Sciences
Obama Makes Risky Bid to Increase Science Spending
Research advocates worry that the president's budget proposal could backfire in the face of political opposition
The Sciences
Science Funders Struggle to Deal with Sexual Harassers
U.S. science agencies threaten harsh penalties, but many have yet to take action
Space & Physics
Rebooted Kepler Spacecraft Hauls in the Planets
Fresh worlds found by K2 mission push beyond original discoveries
Environment
Antarctic Clouds Studied for First Time in 5 Decades
The AWARE project will help unravel effects of global warming
Space & Physics
NASA Suspends Next Mission to Mars
Faulty seismometer will delay the launch of the InSight lander for at least 26 months
The Sciences
Magnetic Mystery of Earth's Early Core Explained
Competing ideas suggest how sloshing motions could maintain a primordial magnetic field
The Sciences
Japan Orbiter Seeks a Second Shot at Venus [Update]
Five years after a failed insertion into planet's orbit, Akatsuki tries again
The Sciences
Hawaiian Court Revokes Permit for Planned Mega-Telescope
Decision throws construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope into question
Environment
The World's Biggest Volcano Is a Magnetic Mix-Up
Five weeks of mapping at sea suggests two possible origins for the underwater Tamu Massif
Space & Physics
Graphic: A World of Exoplanet Discoveries
What we know about alien worlds—and what’s coming next
The Sciences
Astronomers Find the Farthest-Out Solar System Object Ever Seen
More than a hundred times as distant from the sun as Earth is, the object could be a pristine remnant from the primordial solar system
Space & Physics
Ice Volcanoes Could Be on Pluto
New Horizons mission finds evidence for cryovolcanism on the distant dwarf planet
Space & Physics
Pluto's Geology Is Unlike Any Other
First published findings from NASA’s New Horizons mission lay out the dwarf planet’s wildly varying terrain
Conservation
Corals Worldwide Hit by Bleaching [Slide Show]
Warm ocean waters combine with El Niño to turn reefs a stark white
Space & Physics
NASA Considers New Robotic Missions to Venus and Asteroids
Proposals include a hunt for near-Earth objects, a dive into Venus’s atmosphere and a voyage the metallic core of a protoplanet
Space & Physics
Planetary Close-Up Reveals Pluto "Snakeskin"
Intriguing ridges add to dwarf planet's geologic mysteries
Space & Physics
Dark Matter Experiment on Space Station Hits a Glitch
An Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer cooling-pump failure raises questions about the instrument's longevity
