Astronomers Spot a ‘Super-Mars’ Exoplanet around Barnard’s Star
Claims of worlds orbiting Barnard’s star have been made before. But an advanced instrument could provide the breakthrough that finally confirms the star hosts a planetary system
Forget “Manned” Missions—Females May Be More Mentally Resilient in Deep Space
A controversial new study in lab mice hints at sex-based differences in cosmic ray–induced cognitive decline
Study Casts Doubt on Existence of a Potential “Earth 2.0”
A new analysis of data from NASA’s planet-hunting Kepler mission suggests one of the telescope’s prized finds, Kepler 452 b, might be a statistical mirage
Newer Horizons: Scientists Pitch Pluto Probe as a Unique Deep-Space Telescope
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for NASA’s trans-Pluto explorer to set its sights on distant galaxies, stars and exoplanets faces long odds
A Star Is Shorn: The Fine Art of Spotting Supernovae Is Ideal for Amateurs
With a simple telescope and camera, a backyard skywatcher has helped professional astronomers witness the never-before-seen beginnings of a star’s explosive death
A Nearby Neutron Star Collision Could Cause Calamity on Earth
From certain death to a scientific goldmine, here’s the spectrum of possibilities that we might expect from merging black holes, colliding neutron stars or detonating supernovae in our galactic neighborhood
Overlooked Ocean Worlds Fill the Outer Solar System
In the search for watery abodes for extraterrestrial life, the subsurface oceans of Europa and Enceladus are only the tip of the iceberg