Astronomy

Space

50 years ago, scientists didn’t know where heavy elements came from

Five decades ago, scientists suspected ordinary supernovas created heavy elements. Now we know they don’t, but merging neutron stars do.

Space

A new mission to investigate exoplanets has rocketed into space

The European Space Agency’s CHEOPS satellite has launched on a mission to gather intel on previously discovered planets outside of the solar system.

Science & Society

These science claims from 2019 could be big deals — if true

Some of this year’s most tantalizing scientific finds aren’t yet ready for a “best of” list.

Space

2019 brought us the first image of a black hole. A movie may be next

The Event Horizon Telescope team is gearing up for more black hole discoveries.

Space

NASA’s Parker probe has spotted the Geminid meteor showers’ source

For the first time, we’ve spotted the trail of space debris responsible for the Geminid meteor shower.

Space

NASA’s Parker probe reveals the sun’s rogue plasma waves and magnetic islands

Scientists have analyzed the Parker probe’s first data, giving a peek at what’s to come as the craft moves closer to the sun over the next few years.

Space

How brightly the moon glows is a mystery, but maybe not for long

The best estimates for the moon’s brightness are still somewhat unsure. A new experiment is trying to fix that.

Space

A newfound black hole in the Milky Way is weirdly heavy

A dark mass about 68 times as massive as the sun is locked in orbit with a star in our galaxy. Theory says that such black holes shouldn’t get so big.

Astronomy

19 more galaxies mysteriously missing dark matter have been found

The finding reveals a population of dwarf galaxies that defy common wisdom about how these star systems form and evolve.

Space

How two gamma-ray bursts created record-breaking high-energy photons

Light packing up to 1 trillion electron volts of energy bolsters a theory for how these cosmic explosions produce such high-energy radiation.

Space

Realigning magnetic fields may drive the sun’s spiky plasma tendrils

Solar spicules emerge near counterpointing magnetic fields, hinting that self-adjusting magnetism creates these filaments, which may heat the corona.

Space

Light leaking from a distant galaxy hints at a cosmic makeover’s origins

Ultraviolet light slips through a hole in a distant galaxy’s gas. Older galaxies might have used the trick to ionize most of the universe’s hydrogen.