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. Planetary Science

    Lava may be flowing from Venus volcano

    Lava flows might explain a hot spot seen in data from Venus Express spacecraft.

  2. Planetary Science

    Comet 67P cracking under pressure

    Cracks developing on comet 67P are signs of stress building in the neck of the comet that could lead to its two ends snapping apart.

  3. Astronomy

    Cosmic census of galaxies updated to 2 trillion

    A new census of the cosmos suggests that there might be 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe, about 10 times as many as previous estimates.

  4. Planetary Science

    Saturn’s moon Dione might harbor an underground ocean

    Saturn’s moon Dione might have an underground ocean, like several other moons in the solar system.

  5. Planetary Science

    Saturn’s moon Dione might harbor an underground ocean

    Saturn’s moon Dione might have an underground ocean, like several other moons in the solar system.

  6. Physics

    Trio wins physics Nobel for math underlying exotic states of matter

    The 2016 Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded for theoretical discoveries of topological phases of matter.

  7. Planetary Science

    Rosetta spacecraft lands on comet, ends mission

    The Rosetta mission comes to an end as spacecraft touches down on surface of comet 67P/ Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

  8. Planetary Science

    Rosetta spacecraft ends mission

    The Rosetta mission comes to an end as spacecraft touches down on surface of comet 67P/ Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

  9. Planetary Science

    So long, Rosetta: End is near for comet orbiter

    During its time in orbit around comet 67P, the Rosetta spacecraft discovered diverse terrains, organic molecules and a source of water quite different from Earth’s oceans.

  10. Astronomy

    Solar system sits within a major spiral arm of the Milky Way

    The solar system appears to live in one of the major spiral arms of the Milky Way, not in an offshoot as previously thought.

  11. Astronomy

    Solar system sits within major spiral arm of Milky Way

    The solar system appears to live in one of the major spiral arms of the Milky Way, not in an offshoot as previously thought.

  12. Planetary Science

    Europa spouting off again

    Plumes of presumably water erupt from the surface of Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa, in images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.