Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Planetary Science
A salty sea could lurk beneath the heart of Pluto
An ocean more than 100 kilometers thick might hide beneath Pluto’s surface.
- Astronomy
Old-school contraptions still work for weighing astronauts
To weigh themselves, astronauts still use technology invented about 50 years ago.
- Astronomy
Anna Frebel digs a young universe
Astronomer Anna Frebel has discovered record-breaking stars, including the most pristine in the galaxy.
- Cosmology
A cosmic quandary, risks of hatching early and more reader feedback
The cosmos, tadpole escape artists, vehicle collisions and more in reader feedback.
- Astronomy
The sun isn’t the only light source behind that summer tan
About 99.999% of the light that creates a suntan comes from the sun; the rest comes from the Big Bang and galaxies throughout the universe.
- Astronomy
Vanished star may be first known failed supernova
A star that vanished in another galaxy might be the first confirmed case of a failed supernova — and the birth of a black hole.
- Planetary Science
Source of Charon’s red north pole is probably Pluto
The dark red pole on Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, is probably gas that escaped from Pluto and was then transformed by sunlight.
- Astronomy
Gaia mission’s Milky Way map pinpoints locations of billion-plus stars
New map of the galaxy provides unprecedented positions of over 1 billion stars and promises of a detailed 3-D atlas to come.
- Planetary Science
Source of Charon’s red north pole is probably Pluto
The dark red pole on Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, is probably gas that escaped from Pluto and was then transformed by sunlight.
- Planetary Science
Moon rocks may have misled asteroid bombardment dating
Discrepancies in moon rock dating muddy Late Heavy Bombardment debate.
- Planetary Science
Rock star Freddie Mercury now has his own space rock
Queen front man Freddie Mercury is the latest in a long list of celebrities to have an asteroid named after him.
- Planetary Science
OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launches tonight for mission to grab asteroid sample
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is about to launch for a seven-year mission to study the asteroid Bennu and bring samples of the space rock back to Earth.
