Space & Physics

A diffuse purple blob of gas against the depths of intergalactic space, with a dashed circular annotation denoting the blob's central, most gas-dense region.

AstronomyJanuary 6, 2026

Starless ‘Failed Galaxy’ Is First of Its Kind Ever Seen

Scientists have found the best evidence yet for long-predicted “failed galaxies”

Jenna Ahart

PolicyJanuary 6, 2026

Congress Proposes Strong Science Funding for 2026

Lawmakers aim to support science research despite cuts proposed by the Trump administration

Dan Vergano

The Young American Scientists Issue—Read Now

An artist’s concept shows the red supergiant star Betelgeuse and an orbiting companion star.

Space & PhysicsJanuary 6, 2026

Astronomers May Have Unlocked the Reason for Betelgeuse’s Bizarre Dimming

Researchers found evidence that a companion star may be influencing Betelgeuse, explaining why the latter star’s brightness changes over time

Claire Cameron

Artist’s impression of a forming galaxy cluster in the early universe

Space & PhysicsJanuary 5, 2026

Stunningly Hot Galaxy Cluster Puts New Spin on How These Cosmic Behemoths Evolved

Scientists detected gas at least five times hotter than previous theories had predicted inside a galaxy cluster from the early universe

Jackie Flynn Mogensen

A glowing teal image of the sun with a bright patch on the right side somewhat below the equator.

Space & PhysicsJanuary 5, 2026

Longest-Ever Look at Stormy Region on the Sun Offers New Clues to Space Weather

Scientists observed an active region on the sun for a record 94 days, marking a “milestone in solar physics”

Jackie Flynn Mogensen

Multiple bright blue stars of the Pleiades, a star cluster

The UniverseJanuary 2, 2026

The Pleiades Star Cluster Has a Secret Stellar Family Scattered across the Milky Way

The “Seven Sisters” of the Pleiades are part of a much larger complex that can help reveal our galaxy’s deep history

Phil Plait

This artist’s concept shows an ice-encrusted, Earth-mass rogue planet drifting through space alone.

Space & PhysicsJanuary 1, 2026

Scientists Just Clocked a ‘Rogue’ Planet the Size of Saturn

Astronomers just measured the mass of a free-floating planet without a star for the first time

Jackie Flynn Mogensen

Space & PhysicsJanuary 1, 2026

You Need to See the First Fiery Meteor Shower of 2026

The new year has arrived, and the Quadrantid meteor shower is coming in hot. Here’s how to see this often-spectacular shower at its peak

Claire Cameron

The cluster appears here as a large collection of brilliant white lights, each a distinct galaxy. A neon purple cloud stretches across the cluster’s crowded core. Many of the hundred-plus galaxies in the cluster are in two clumps of galaxies towards the top and bottom of center. Some are encircled by a faint glowing haze, while a few foreground stars gleam with diffraction spikes. Some of the smaller galaxies are tinted blue, orange, or red, and some appear more oblong than round, suggesting spiral shapes viewed edge-on. The neon purple cloud sits at the heart of the image, surrounding the most densely-packed part of the cluster. This cloud, which spreads vertically across the cluster, is multimillion-degree gas observed by Chandra. The two clumps of observable galaxies, and the spread of superheated gas, reveal that the Champagne Cluster is in fact two clusters in the process of colliding.

AstronomyDecember 31, 2025

Cheers! Ring in the New Year with Glittering ‘Champagne Cluster’ Image

A galaxy cluster discovered on New Year’s Eve in 2020 shines in a new image from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Meghan Bartels

Mid-infrared data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (in white, gray, and red) and X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (in blue) come together in this photo of colliding spiral galaxies released on Dec. 1, 2025. The pair grazed one another millions of years ago; billions of years in the future, they will merge into a single galaxy.

Space & PhysicsDecember 31, 2025

Colliding Spiral Galaxies Captured in Sparkling Detail

Astronomers combined data from NASA’s JWST and Chandra X-ray Observatory to create a stunning new image of two merging spiral galaxies

Claire Cameron

Society & PolicyDecember 30, 2025

NASA’s New Chief Just Put a Fresh Twist on the Texas Space Shuttle Saga

NASA’s new boss Jared Isaacman hinted that he could break with Texas lawmakers’ push to move iconic space shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian to Houston

Claire Cameron

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket inside high bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building

Space ExplorationDecember 30, 2025

Here’s What to Get Excited about in Space in 2026

From crewed lunar voyages to flight tests of fully reusable rockets and launches of new orbital telescopes studying the outer limits of the cosmos, 2026 should be a banner year for space science and exploration

Lee Billings

Previous Next