headshot of Associate News Editor Christopher Crockett

Christopher Crockett

Associate News Editor

Christopher Crockett is an Associate News Editor. He was formerly the astronomy writer from 2014 to 2017, and he has a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California, Los Angeles.

All Stories by Christopher Crockett

  1. Astronomy

    Milky Way connected to a vast network of galaxies

    The Milky Way galaxy lives on the outer edge of a newly discovered supercluster of galaxies named Laniakea that is 520 million light-years across.

  2. Astronomy

    Subatomic particles give glimpse into sun’s core

    For the first time, a subterranean detector has captured neutrinos generated in the main nuclear reactions that power the sun.

  3. Astronomy

    Wake of nearby supernova hints at explosion’s origins

    Gamma rays from radioactive decay of cobalt formed in a nearby supernova reveal unprecedented details of the explosion’s aftermath.

  4. Astronomy

    Distance to quasars debated

    Some astronomers thought quasars were buzzing around our galaxy; turns out these starlike objects live on the other side of the universe.

  5. Astronomy

    Dust nabbed by spacecraft may be from outside the solar system

    NASA’s Stardust mission captured seven particles that probably come from interstellar space, providing researchers with the first direct samples from beyond the solar system.

  6. Astronomy

    Single black hole may be masquerading as a pair

    New observations of a recently discovered binary black hole reveal that astronomers may have been seeing double.

  7. Planetary Science

    Saturn moon’s geysers draw water from subsurface sea

    More than six years of Cassini data indicate that the water jets on the surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus connect to deep-ocean reservoirs via expanding cracks in surface ice.

  8. Astronomy

    Gamma rays streaming from stellar explosions stump astronomers

    The Fermi satellite detected gamma rays coming from an unexpected source — and astronomers don’t understand what made that possible.

  9. Astronomy

    When looking for aliens, try finding their pollution

    Future telescopes may discover civilized aliens by detecting the industrial pollutants called fluorinated gases in exoplanet atmospheres.

  10. Astronomy

    Tilted binary stars test theories of planet formation

    Tilted disks in binary star systems may help astronomers explain variety of exoplanet orbits.

  11. Astronomy

    Searching for distant signals

    Fast radio bursts are bright, brief and seem to come from very far away. Astronomers are pointing major telescopes skyward to solve the puzzle of these cryptic signals.

  12. Planetary Science

    Comet ISON fell apart earlier than realized

    Comet ISON disintegrated at least eight hours before it grazed the surface of the sun last fall, new observations show.