Ron Cowen

All Stories by Ron Cowen

  1. Astronomy

    Too Darn Hot

    A new theory of planet formation suggests that sizzling-hot Earths may be abundant throughout the galaxy and could soon be detected.

  2. Planetary Science

    Saturn says ‘cheese’

    Astronomers have assembled the largest and most-detailed global portrait of the ringed planet ever made.

  3. Astronomy

    Puzzling radio blasts

    Astronomers are stumped by powerful radio waves emanating from the center of our galaxy.

  4. Astronomy

    Weighing In on a Star: A stellar size limit

    A new study suggests that no star in our galaxy can weigh more than 150 times the mass of the sun.

  5. Astronomy

    Radiation from a baby star

    X-ray telescopes have captured the earliest and clearest view of the core of a gas cloud about to transform into a star.

  6. Planetary Science

    Martian Landscaping: Spacecraft eyes evidence of a frozen sea

    After analyzing images taken by the orbiting Mars Express spacecraft, researchers reported that a flat region near the Red Planet's equator holds a frozen ocean that was once the size of the North Sea.

  7. Astronomy

    Hole power

    New computer simulations and observations are adding to the evidence that supermassive black holes control the growth of the galaxies they inhabit, wielding an influence far beyond their gravitational grasp.

  8. Astronomy

    Big Flash: Record-breaking explosion in outer space

    The brightest flash of light ever recorded from beyond the solar system could help account for a puzzling group of extremely short-lived gamma-ray bursts from distant galaxies.

  9. Astronomy

    Speedstar

    Astronomers have discovered a star so speedy that it will eventually leave the Milky Way and venture into intergalactic space.

  10. Planetary Science

    Spying Saturn’s Light Show: Anomalous aurora dazzles scientists

    The dancing lights that paint Saturn's sky stands out from all other auroras observed in the solar system.

  11. Astronomy

    Images from the Edge

    Examining nearby reaches of the universe at ultraviolet wavelengths, a recently launched spacecraft has found regions of star birth in unexpected places.

  12. Planetary Science

    Meteorite on Mars

    One of the twin rovers on Mars has discovered the first meteorite ever found on a planet other than Earth.