Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Space
Giant cluster phenomenally fertile
Stars form at an impressive rate thanks to a snoozing black hole at the center of the massive object.
- Planetary Science
Dawn mission to die another day
A glitch does not threaten the spacecraft’s survival, but it will delay an upcoming visit to the dwarf planet Ceres.
- Planetary Science
Wheels down, Mars rover takes in the view
After a safe landing, NASA’s Curiosity begins transmitting images back to Earth.
- Planetary Science
Curiosity lands safely on Mars
Lowered by sky crane onto the surface, NASA rover prepares to look for signs that life could have evolved on the Red Planet.
- Planetary Science
A lifetime of curiosity: An interview with JPL director Charles Elachi
Nadia Drake speaks with the lab head days before the Mars Science Laboratory’s scheduled landing.
- Planetary Science
BLOG: Mission control before the party
On the eve of Curiosity’s planned Martian landing, Science News astronomy reporter Nadia Drake checks out JPL’s space central.
- Planetary Science
Young scientist crosses fingers for Mars rover
Ryan Anderson’s graduate work helped researchers select Curiosity’s landing site in Gale Crater.
- Astronomy
Curiosity to look for habitable environs
Set to land on Mars August 5, NASA mission will search for signs that the planet could support life, now or long ago.
- Planetary Science
Curiosity readies for dramatic entrance
NASA’s new Mars rover aims to alight on the Red Planet like a pop star being lowered onto stage.
- Humans
Blog: Remembering Sally Ride
Astronomy writer Nadia Drake looks back on the astronaut’s reach.
- Space
Crowd sourcing comes to astronomy
Researchers comb the Internet for snapshots of a comet and use the collected images to calculate its orbit.
- Space
Black hole theory deepens lithium crisis
A new proposal suggests a potential new source of the element as astrophysicists try to explain why it’s in such short supply.
