378 results
- Planetary Science
Why you shouldn’t use magnets when looking for meteorites
A popular tool for identifying meteorites can overwrite records of magnetic fields stored within the space rocks.
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So much of science is looking and seeing
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the marvels of looking and seeing in science, from peeks into outer space to 3-D visualizations of protein structures.
- Planetary Science
Methylated gases could be an unambiguous indicator of alien life
On Earth, methylated gases are produced by organisms cleaning up their environment — and by little else. The same might be true on some exoplanets.
- Astronomy
NASA’s exoplanet count surges past 5,000
With a new batch of 60 confirmed exoplanets, the number of known worlds in our galaxy reaches another milestone.
- Astronomy
The first planet found by the Kepler space telescope is doomed
The exoplanet dubbed Kepler 1658b is spiraling toward its host star and will meet a fiery death in less than 3 million years.
- Planetary Science
Oxygen-rich exoplanets may be geologically active
Experiments show that rocks exposed to higher concentrations of oxygen have a lower melting temperature than rocks exposed to lower amounts.
- Science & Society
These are Science News’ favorite books of 2023
Books about deadly fungi, the science of preventing roadkill, trips to other planets and the true nature of math grabbed our attention this year.
- Astronomy
Sand clouds are common in atmospheres of brown dwarfs
Dozens of newly examined brown dwarfs have clouds of silicates, confirming an old theory and revealing how these failed stars live.
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- Planetary Science
This tiny, sizzling exoplanet could be made of molten iron
A newly discovered exoplanet that whips around its star in less than eight hours is smaller than Earth, as dense as iron and hot enough to melt.
- Planetary Science
Planets without stars might have moons suitable for life
Thanks to gravitational squeezing by their host planets, some moons of rogue planets could stay warm for over a billion years, simulations suggest.
- Astronomy
Lots of Tatooine-like planets around binary stars may be habitable
A new simulation suggests that planets orbiting a pair of stars may be plentiful, and many of those worlds could be suitable for life.
