Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Astronomy
Planet collisions may have rearranged crowded solar systems
Solar systems discovered by Kepler with just one or two worlds may be remnants of planet families that were once far more crowded.
- Planetary Science
Mysterious bright spot on Ceres has a partner
A new image from the Dawn spacecraft finds two bright patches within a basin, possibly caused by an ice volcano.
- Astronomy
Monster black hole lurks in the early universe
A black hole weighing the same as 12 billion suns is the most massive one known in the early universe.
- Earth
Water’s unclear origins, shaky solutions to climate change and more reader feedback
Readers discuss the pitfalls of carbon storage, whether a recent movie got Alan Turing's story right and more.
- Oceans
‘Ocean Worlds’ chronicles the story of water on Earth and across the cosmos
Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams recount the history and predict the future of Earth’s oceans.
- Planetary Science
Space simulations of 1960s focused on survival
50 years ago, space simulations focused on survival. Now, quality of life is critical, too.
- Planetary Science
New Horizons spies two of Pluto’s moons
Nix and Hydra come into view on the 85th anniversary of Pluto’s discovery.
- Cosmology
The past according to Planck: Cosmologists got a lot right
New results from the Planck satellite largely support cosmologists’ theories, but leave the door open for new discoveries.
- Planetary Science
Dwarf planet Ceres comes into view
New images from the Dawn spacecraft reveal a landscape of craters and mysterious bright patches on the dwarf planet Ceres.
- Astronomy
Pair of stars buzzed the solar system 70,000 years ago
Astronomers discover a binary system that made the closest known flyby of the sun.
- Astronomy
Closest star approach to the sun
Astronomers discover a binary system that made the closest known flyby of the sun.
- Astronomy
Giant hydrogen cloud headed for Milky Way
A high-speed hydrogen cloud on a crash course with the Milky Way appears to be an exotic interloper, preliminary data suggest.
