Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
Encountering an unexpected Pluto and life’s complexity
Just as genetic analyses are revealing details of life’s long history, the New Horizons probe is bringing the fuzzy surface of Pluto into focus.
- Astronomy
Distant star has northern lights–like display
A dim star shows signs of auroral lights, the first detected on a body that’s not a planet or moon.
- Planetary Science
Pluto’s icy landscape comes into view
The New Horizons flyby reveals varied terrain and evidence of active geology on Pluto.
- Planetary Science
Ice flows, haze offer more clues to Pluto’s geology
New Horizons’ latest data reveal more hints about Pluto’s shrinking atmosphere and possible underground ocean.
- Space
Best cosmic ‘cradles of life’ may be elliptical in shape
Giant elliptical galaxies might harbor up to 10,000 times as many Earthlike planets than galaxies like the Milky Way.
- Astronomy
Kepler telescope identifies new ‘habitable zone’ planet
A new analysis of data from NASA’s Kepler mission has uncovered a planet orbiting a sunlike star that could be Earth’s “cousin.”
- Planetary Science
First craters on Mars spotted 50 years ago
Fifty years ago, Mariner 4 revealed that the Red Planet was peppered with craters. Now we know pockmarks are common on many other planets and moons, too.
- Space
Search for E.T. gets financial boost
Search for extraterrestrial intelligence gets a $100 million donation from a Russian entrepreneur.
- Planetary Science
Latest dispatch from Pluto reveals frozen plains, icy hills and more
Polygon plains, windswept hydrocarbons, and more moons were tantalizing details revealed about Pluto in the latest data from New Horizons.
- Planetary Science
Mission to Pluto: Live coverage
The New Horizons spacecraft is scheduled to fly by Pluto on July 14. Check back often for frequent updates on the status of the mission, updates from mission control, and the latest images.
- Neuroscience
Putting time’s mysteries in order
Investigating both the orderly and disorderly dimensions of time provides the focus for a special issue of Science News.
- Astronomy
Source of blazars’ super brightness comes into focus
Astronomers take a close look at a blazar, a galaxy whose central black hole emits gamma rays and other high-energy material toward Earth.
