Space & Physics
Graphic: A World of Exoplanet Discoveries
What we know about alien worlds—and what’s coming next
Stories by Alexandra Witze
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
Space & Physics
Earth's Ancient Magnetic Field Just Got a Lot Older
Early magnetism could have helped create conditions to support life
Space & Physics
New Horizons Finds Nitrogen Glaciers and Hazy Air on Pluto
Astronomers astounded by the dwarf planet's active geology and atmosphere
Space & Physics
Pluto and Charon Come into Sharper Focus
Images from the New Horizons probe’s journey to the distant reaches of the solar system
Space & Physics
Astronomers Propose Giant Space Telescope to Replace Hubble
A segmented mirror four or five times wider than Hubble's would peer directly at exoplanets
Environment
Oil and Gas Company's Disposal of Wastewater Causes Sharp Rise in Quakes
Nearly 90 percent of temblors in the central U.S. are now caused by water injected into underground wells
Space & Physics
Pluto's Moons Move in Synchrony
Gravity binds together three of the dwarf planet's satellites
Space & Physics
Giant Telescope in Hawaii Progresses, with New Restrictions
The embattled Thirty Meter Telescope project can proceed on Mauna Kea, but only by cutting back astronomy elsewhere on the mountain
Space & Physics
Images Expose Thunder in Exquisite Detail
Acoustic measurements reveal the energy that radiates from a lightning bolt
The Sciences
Massive Underwater Volcano Erupts
An event at the Axial Seamount tests a new deep-sea observing network
Space & Physics
Pluto May Have Icy Cap
The latest images from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft show a bright spot near the dwarf planet's pole
Space & Physics
Mercury Mission Set to End with Dramatic Crash
The chief scientist for the Mercury MESSENGER mission reminisces its findings and upcoming finale
The Sciences
Major Earthquake Hits Nepal
Shaking struck near Kathmandu, where buildings collapsed and thousands are feared dead
