Stories by Joseph Howlett

Joseph Howlett is a staff reporter at Scientific American covering physics, math, astronomy and more. He was previously a math staff writer at Quanta Magazine, and holds a Ph.D. in particle physics from Columbia University.

fuzzy blue clumps of dark matter dot a deep-space view of stars and distant galaxies

Dark MatterJanuary 26, 2026

JWST unveils most intricate map yet of cosmic dark matter

Astronomers puzzled out minuscule distortions in images of faraway galaxies taken by JWST in order to chart the invisible

Joseph Howlett

A colorful close-up of whorls and tendrils of gas and dust in the Helix Nebula

AstronomyJanuary 21, 2026

New JWST images reveal Helix Nebula’s knots with stunning clarity

A fresh look at the Helix Nebula captures new details of the cycle of stellar life and death

Joseph Howlett

Part of the Orion Nebula shown in infrared

Planetary ScienceMarch 19, 2024

Orion’s Twin Rogue Planets Inexplicably Blaze with Intense Radio Waves

Researchers don’t know how this pair of free-floating planets formed or why it radiates so brightly

Joseph Howlett

OpinionApril 5, 2023

Dark Matter Hunters Need Fresh Answers

The hunt for dark matter is in crisis, and it’s time for radical new ideas to explain our universe

Joseph Howlett