COME INTO VIEW Plumes erupting from Europa (illustrated) stand out against light from Jupiter in observations from the Hubble Space Telescope.
A. Field/STScI
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Magazine
In the October 1 SN: Meet the SN 10 — up-and-coming scientists exploring big questions, Tasmanian devils resist an epidemic of cancer, the ebb and flow of one man’s microbiome, oldest fossils, Juno’s first closeups of Jupiter and more.
Atom & Cosmos
Topic Image Rail
RISE UP A line of small scarps (arrows) on Mercury, seen in this image from the MESSENGER spacecraft, suggest that the planet has been tectonically active in the last 50 million years.
NASA, JHUAPL, Carnegie Institution of Washington
An ocean of salty water might lurk beneath Pluto’s Sputnik Planum, the left side of the dwarf planet’s famous heart, seen in this image from the New Horizons spacecraft.
NASA, JHUAPL, SWRI
Atom & Cosmos
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Astronomy
50 Years Ago
Old-school contraptions still work for weighing astronauts
To weigh themselves, astronauts still use technology invented about 50 years ago.Feature
Anna Frebel digs a young universe
Astronomer Anna Frebel has discovered record-breaking stars, including the most pristine in the galaxy. -
Cosmology
Letters to the EditorA cosmic quandary, risks of hatching early and more reader feedback
The cosmos, tadpole escape artists, vehicle collisions and more in reader feedback.News
Debate accelerates on universe’s expansion speed
A puzzling mismatch is plaguing two methods for measuring how fast the universe is expanding. -
Planetary Science
News in Brief
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.News
Mercury’s surface still changing
A population of small cliffs on Mercury suggests that the planet might have been tectonically active in the last 50 million years. -
Particle Physics
News
Supersymmetry’s absence at LHC puzzles physicists
Accelerator experiments find no evidence to support popular particle physics theory known as supersymmetry.News
New data give clearer picture of Higgs boson
Scientists are carefully measuring the Higgs boson’s properties. -
Exoplanets
Editor's NoteProxima b deserves buzz, even if some didn’t notice
Editor in chief Eva Emerson discusses Earth's newest potentially habitable neighbor.News in Brief
Young exoplanet found nestled close to its star
Scientists have found one of the youngest exoplanets ever, snuggled up close to its star. -
Astrobiology
Letters to the EditorReaders weigh in on ET and the meaning of life
All about aliensNew telescopes and spacecraft will soon help researchers scour our galaxy for signs of extraterrestrial life. But what might aliens look like? And if they do exist, why haven’t they returned our calls? These are just some of the questions addressed in the Science News special report “In Search of Aliens” (SN: 4/30/16, p. 24).
Editor's NoteTrying to find ET and our place in the universe
Editor in Chief discusses the search for life beyond Earth.
