Solar system

A planet-vaporizing impact is the leading explanation for a distant star’s curiously fluctuating light

Strange patterns in the orbits of small objects in the outer solar system could be explained by gaps in our understanding of gravity rather than an as-yet-unseen new world

The sun’s magnetic poles are about to reverse as part of a regular 11-year sunspot activity cycle

Thirty years ago, astronomer Carl Sagan convinced NASA to turn a passing space probe’s instruments on Earth to look for life — with results that still reverberate today

Images from each and every spacecraft now orbiting Mars have ruled out a meteorite strike as the cause of a 4.7-magnitude marsquake, the strongest temblor ever detected beyond Earth

When the sun gets feisty, Earth’s atmosphere can literally light up. But seeing the resulting aurora isn’t always easy

OSIRIS-REx’s treasure trove from asteroid Bennu includes material rich in water and carbon

For the third time in a year, coolant is leaking from a Russian module aboard the International Space Station

Worlds around red giant stars—and others that don’t orbit any star at all—hint at an unexpected diversity of possibilities for planets and life in the universe

NASA’s Perseverance rover has collected valuable samples, but a new report says the plan to fetch them is unworkable

NASA has reversed course on plans to curtail the New Horizons spacecraft’s planetary science studies following a rebellion among the mission’s leaders

At times, the enormous BlueWalker 3 telecommunications satellite is brighter than some of the most iconic stars visible from Earth