Japan Prepares for Hayabusa2’s Daring Return to Earth
In December the spacecraft will swing past our planet and drop off samples collected from an ancient asteroid
Stories by Jonathan O'Callaghan
Summer on Mars: NASA’s Perseverance Rover Is One of Three Missions Ready to Launch
A new generation of orbiters, landers and rovers will study the Red Planet as never before, setting the stage for returning pristine samples to Earth
A Hydrogen Iceberg from a Failed Star Might Have Passed through Our Solar System
The interstellar visitor ‘Oumuamua, discovered in 2017, may represent an entirely new type of astrophysical object, two astronomers say
Astronomers May Have Found the Closest Black Hole to Earth
At just 1,000 light-years away, an object in a nearby star system could be our nearest known black hole—but not everyone is convinced
Astronomers May Have Captured the First Ever Image of Nearby Exoplanet Proxima C
It could be an unprecedented view of a world in the closest planetary system to our own, but uncertainties aplenty remain
COVID-19 Shutdown May Obscure Mysteries of Cracked Interstellar Comet
Pristine alien material from the object 2I/Borisov is being exposed to space for the first time—but the coronavirus pandemic is stopping astronomers from watching it
Apollo Rock Samples Heat Up Moon Formation Debate
A new study suggests there are key differences between the compositions of Earth and its natural satellite, with significant implications for lunar history
China’s Moon Rover Takes a Deeper Look at the Far Side
Radar data from the Chang’e-4 mission show multiple debris layers under the rover, recording eons of lunar history
Physicists Come Closer to Answering Question of Antimatter’s Scarcity
Researchers have confirmed a long-predicted key similarity between hydrogen and antihydrogen
Home Star Stunner: Best Ever Images of Solar Surface Herald New Era
Scientists have released the first pictures from a new telescope in Hawaii, one of three missions expected to redefine our understanding of our home star in the 2020s
Ending in 2020, NASA’s Infrared Spitzer Mission Leaves a Gap in Astronomy
Delays to the James Webb Space Telescope will result in at least a yearlong hiatus in space-based infrared observations
The FCC’s Approval of SpaceX’s Starlink Mega Constellation May Have Been Unlawful
A new paper suggests that the agency broke U.S. environmental law in its approval of the satellites and that if it were to be sued in court, it would likely lose
Swirling Magnetic Fields Hint at Origins of Spiral Galaxy Shapes
The formation of spiral galaxies remains an open question in astronomy, but a new study offers a fresh look into how these structures emerge
European Space Telescope to Launch New Era of Exoplanet Science
CHEOPS will be the first mission designed to study—rather than find—alien worlds
Evidence of New X17 Particle Reported, but Scientists Are Wary
Could the mysterious particle be our window into studying dark matter?
A Missing Neutron Star May Have Been Found after 30-Year Hunt
Astronomers say they have detected the long-sought remnant of a relatively close supernova
Voyager 2 Makes an Unexpectedly Clean Break from the Solar System
The first scientific results from the spacecraft’s exit into interstellar space have been published, revealing a simpler departure than its predecessor
The Risky Rush for Mega Constellations
Some experts are alarmed by plans to launch tens of thousands of revolutionary telecommunications satellites in coming years
Hidden Passage: Could We Spy a Traversable Wormhole in the Milky Way’s Heart?
Anomalous motions of stars orbiting our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole might reveal the existence of long-hypothesized tunnels through spacetime
Astronomers Find Our Second Interstellar Visitor Looks like the Locals
The object 2I/Borisov has the same composition as comets in the solar system, suggesting its system of origin might resemble ours
