Stories by Christopher Crockett

Orbital Forensics Hint at Sun’s Long-Lost Planet

Clues hidden in today’s orbits reveal the violent origins of the solar system—and, just maybe, a rogue giant kicked out long ago

Not Just Pretty, Perseid Meteors Hold Key to Clear View of the Heavens

The Perseids meteor shower, which peaks August 11-12, isn’t just a dazzling celestial show. The annual event also supplies our atmosphere with an essential ingredient for groundbreaking astronomical research...

Glowing, Glowing, Gone: Cell Fluorescence Casts Light on How Death Spreads Throughout Body

Researchers have identified a key molecular pathway for animal death that may provide clues for better managing traumatic injury and disease in humans

Are Galaxies Playing Catch with Black Holes?

Astronomers speculate that a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy may have been spit out from the collision of two other galaxies

Satellite Gets First Look at Sun s Tail

Next Mars Rover Will Seek Out Signs of Past Life

NASA officials have revealed their vision for what comes after the wildly successful Curiosity rover on Mars. Think of it as Curiosity Plus. Using Curiosity’s design as a starting point, Mars 2020 (as it’s currently known) will be another rover digging around the surface of the red planet...

Today the Earth Falls Towards the Sun

Notice anything different today? Is the sun looking a little smaller? Or the Earth moving a little slowly?Well, today is Aphelion Day.Around 11 A.M. Eastern, Earth passes through the point in its orbit that is farthest from the sun, a point called the aphelion...

NASA Adds a New Space Telescope to Its Fleet of Solar Satellites

Despite being the closest star to Earth, the sun still has its secrets. What drives the powerful eruptions of gas known as coronal mass ejections? How does the sun regulate Earth's climate?...

Methane in Pennsylvania Groundwater May Originate in Fracked Gas Wells

A new study links elevated levels of methane and other gases in groundwater to nearby hydraulic fracturing wells on the Marcellus shale, and suggests the problem lies in poorly designed well casings...

Channel Surfing: Are Dry Ice Sleds Carving the Surface of Mars?

Researchers have found that chunks of dry ice, jetting around on cushions of gas, may be responsible for mysterious channels on the Martian surface