Space & Physics
Missing Tape Discovery Solves 40-Year Lunar Mystery
Traces of the Apollo astronauts’ presence lingered long after they left
Stories by Nola Taylor Tillman
Space & Physics
Record-Breaking Signal May Help Solve the Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts
The CHIME telescope could soon deliver thousands of additional detections of the mysterious cosmic outbursts
Space & Physics
Before Its Death Dive, Cassini Caught Saturn Hissing at Its Rings
For the first time scientists have observed the gas giant sending magnetic waves back to its ring system and its moon Enceladus
Space & Physics
Interstellar Mystery Object Now Thought to Be a Comet
'Oumuamua, the first-known visitor from outside the solar system, may not have been an asteroid after all
Space & Physics
It’s Full of Stars: New 3-D Milky Way Map Could Settle Debate over Who Discovered the First Exoplanet
Better data from the Gaia spacecraft also promises to shed light on mysterious brown dwarfs
Evolution
Primeval Salt Shakes Up Ideas on How the Atmosphere Got Its Oxygen
Our planet may have gained breathable air in the geologic blink of an eye
Space & Physics
Proposed Exomoon Defies Formation Theories
The mysterious object could be the first moon found beyond our solar system—or something else entirely
Space & Physics
Did We Just Find Exoplanets in Another Galaxy?
New observations of a supermassive black hole in a faraway galaxy hint that planets are plentiful throughout the universe
Space & Physics
Beyond Pluto, New Horizons’ Next Target May Have a Moon
The probe’s 2019 encounter with the icy object 2014 MU69 could reveal multiple lunar companions
Space & Physics
Oddball Object Tumbling among the Stars Could Disrupt Planetary Science
The solar system’s first-observed interstellar emissary hints at undiscovered populations of exoplanets and violent origins
Space & Physics
Black Hole Pretenders May Be Superfast-Spinning Pulsars
Unraveling the murky origins of these cosmic imposters could lead to breakthroughs in understanding the lives and deaths of stars
Space & Physics
Earth’s Nearest Neighbor May Harbor More Planets
Cold dust observed around Proxima Centauri suggests the presence of hidden worlds
Space & Physics
Cassini’s “Grand Finale” Could Solve Saturn’s Lingering Mysteries
In its last hours the spacecraft’s observations could reveal the origins of the planet’s rings—and more
Space & Physics
Supermassive Black Holes May Dine on “Jellyfish” Galaxies
Galaxies with trailing ‘tentacles’ of gas and newborn stars could help feed some of the universe’s most powerful objects
Space & Physics
Newly Found Exoplanet May Have Ring System Dwarfing Saturn’s
If confirmed, the world’s rings would be some 200 times wider than Saturn’s and could reveal clues to our solar system’s early history
Space & Physics
Could "Planetary Protection" Scuttle Otherworldly Exploration?
Scientists are grappling with the problem of biological cross-contamination between Earth and other worlds
Space & Physics
"Dragonfly'" Drone Could Fly across Saturn's Moon Titan
The quadcopter-style lander could explore some of the moon’s most promising sites for habitability and life
Evolution
Life Bounced Back Fast after Dino-Killing Impact
A new study finds organisms only took 30,000 years to repopulate a region devastated by the impact
Space & Physics
Planetary Scientists Decry Trump's Proposed Earth-Science Cuts
The president's proposed budget would boost funding for NASA's planetary science division, but at what cost?
Space & Physics
ExoMars Mission Moves Forward from Lander Woes
Despite the likely loss of its Schiaparelli lander, the Trace Gas Orbiter is gearing up for spectacular science at Mars
