Space Exploration
Don’t Fear China’s Falling Rocket—Fear the Future It Foretells
Long considered trivial, the effects of rocket launches and reentering space debris on global warming and ozone loss could soon become too large to ignore
Stories by Lee Billings
Astronomy
NASA Triumphantly Unveils Full Set of Webb’s First Images
Breathtaking pictures that include the deepest-ever infrared view of ancient galaxies offer a preview of the spectacular science in store for the most powerful space observatory in history...
Astronomy
See the Oldest View of Our Known Universe, Just Revealed by the James Webb Space Telescope
Decades of work, $10 billion in spending and nearly 14 billion years of cosmic history have brought us to this moment: the first science from the largest and most powerful observatory ever built...
Astronomy
Meet the Woman Who Makes the James Webb Space Telescope Work
Jane Rigby, Webb’s operations project scientist, discusses how NASA plans to wring as much science as possible from the $10-billion observatory
Animals
The Best Fun Science Stories of 2021: Rhythmic Lemurs, a Marscopter and Sex-Obsessed Insect Zombies
Check out the weird and wonderful stories that delighted us this year
Planetary Science
Ancient Martian ‘Lake’ May Have Just Been Ephemeral Puddles
One study suggests the Curiosity rover’s landing site is not as it seems
Astrophysics
Hunt for Alien Life Tops Next-Gen Wish List for U.S. Astronomy
A major report outlining the highest priorities and recommendations for U.S. astronomy has finally been released, revealing the shape of things to come
Planetary Science
Physics Nobel Honors Breakthroughs in Understanding Climate and Other Complex Systems
Half the award goes to Giorgio Parisi for his studies of disorder and chaos. The remainder is shared between Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann for modeling global warming and climate variability...
Astronomy
This Report Could Make or Break the Next 30 Years of U.S. Astronomy
A battle for the future of American stargazing is about to begin—and the stakes are sky high
Space & Physics
See Ingenuity Team’s Joy after the First Mars Helicopter Soars
Scientists and engineers react with elation to the historic interplanetary flight
Space & Physics
This Mars-Studying Scientist May Be the First Woman to Walk on the Moon
Jessica Watkins is excited for humans to get to work on the lunar surface
Planetary Science
Meet the Unsung Heroes behind Humanity’s Improbable Journey to an Alien Ocean
The author of a new book reveals the hidden human history of NASA’s in-development Europa Clipper mission
Space & Physics
Experience Seven Minutes of Terror in New Perseverance Mars Rover Landing Video
Last week’s pinpoint touchdown of NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover in Jezero Crater was historic for many reasons, chief among them the epochal nature of the mission’s task of seeking signs of ancient life—and caching relevant samples for eventual return to Earth...
Space Exploration
Perseverance Has Landed! Mars Rover Begins a New Era of Exploration
NASA’s latest mission to the Red Planet will seek out signs of ancient life, gather samples for return to Earth and even fly a first-of-its-kind interplanetary helicopter
Space & Physics
The Future of Mars Exploration
Join Scientific American for a conversation about the next steps in humanity’s reconnaissance of Mars. Featuring Casey Dreier, senior space policy adviser at the Planetary Society, and space and physics editor Lee Billings, this deep dive will begin with an overview of NASA’s upcoming Perseverance rover—slated to land on Mars in February 2021 to search for signs of past and present life and to gather samples for future return to Earth...
Planetary Science
Is It a Planet? Astronomers Spy Promising Potential World around Alpha Centauri
The candidate could be a “warm Neptune” or a mirage. Either way, it signals the dawn of a revolution in astronomy
Space & Physics
Astronomer Avi Loeb Says Aliens Have Visited, and He’s Not Kidding
In conversation, the Harvard University professor explains his shocking hypothesis—and calls out what he sees as a crisis in science
Space & Physics
Alien Hunters Discover Mysterious Signal from Proxima Centauri
Strange radio transmissions appear to be coming from our nearest star system. Now scientists are trying to work out what is sending them
Policy
Seven Ways the Election Will Shape the Future of Science, Health and the Environment
Climate change, nuclear arms control, the pandemic and more will be determined by whoever wins the White House and Congress
Black Holes
Black Hole Scientists Win Nobel Prize in Physics
Half the award goes to Roger Penrose, with the rest split between Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez, for work revealing the “darkest secrets of the universe”...
