Mesmerizing New JWST Image Sharpens Our View of Dark Matter’s Intergalactic Playground
A swarm of galaxies called the Bullet Cluster is the biggest, best natural laboratory for studying dark matter that astronomers have ever seen
How Big Can a Black Hole Be?
Some black holes get extremely massive. Is there an upper limit to their growth?
How to See Faster-Than-Light Motion
Superluminal velocities are common but illusory
If This Asteroid Hits the Moon, Watch for Shooting Stars and Stricken Satellites
The 60-meter asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 4 percent chance of hitting the moon. Could such a lunar collision create a dangerous new meteor shower?
One Year after Scientific American’s First Issue, the Solar System Grew by a Planet
Neptune’s discovery was a race that ended not long after this magazine came to be
Echoes of Light Illuminate the Cosmos
Bizarre phenomena called light echoes create strange, shifting shapes seen in some telescopic images and help astronomers chart the heavens above
The Physics of Spinning Black Holes Explained
Scientists are uncovering how spinning black holes launch jets, warp spacetime and shape the cosmos
The Sky Is Falling—From Another Star
Astronomers think small space rocks from beyond our solar system routinely strike Earth—but proving it isn’t easy
Can You Drink Saturn’s Rings?
It’s certainly possible to consume water sourced from the icy rings of Saturn, but doing so safely may require extra steps
Mars ‘Water’ Streaks Could Just Be Dust
A new global overview of Mars suggests dust, rather than water, is the source of mysterious streaks there
When the Sun Becomes a Red Giant, Will Any Planet Be Safe?
The future is bright—too bright—for life as we know it once the sun transforms into a red giant star
How a Passing Star Could Oust Planets from the Solar System
Close stellar encounters could change the structure of our planetary system, potentially dooming Earth or other worlds to oblivion