Space

Astronomy

Are most extrasolar planets hefty imposters?

A new study makes the startling claim that nearly half the objects reported to be extrasolar planets are something much more massive and mundane—either lightweight stars or stellar wannabes known as brown dwarfs.

Astronomy

Rare Passage: Crab’s X rays probe Titan

Observing a rare celestial alignment, astronomers have made the first X-ray measurement of the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan.

Astronomy

Sizing up a black hole

Astronomers are closing in on the size of the supermassive black hole that lies at our galaxy's center.

Astronomy

Shades of Venus

On June 8, for the first time in 122 years, the silhouette of Venus will move across the face of the sun.

Planetary Science

Martian Methane: Carbon compound hints at life

The presence of methane in the Martian atmosphere spotlights the possibility that there might be primitive life on the Red Planet.

Astronomy

Foraging among the Galaxies: Andromeda’s dining habits are documented

A new survey is adding to the evidence that Andromeda, the Milky Way’s sister galaxy, has not only grown bigger in the past by feasting on smaller galaxies but is continuing to do so.

Planetary Science

Signs of Water Flow: Oceans of data point to ancient Martian sea

A robotic rover on Mars has found strong evidence that some rocks near the Martian equator were laid down by a shallow, ancient ocean, indicating one of the most likely places to look for remains of life on the Red Planet.

Astronomy

Andromeda’s building blocks

A radio telescope has made the first conclusive observations of gas clouds that could be the leftover building blocks of the Andromeda galaxy, the Milky Way’s closest large spiral neighbor.

Astronomy

Planetoid on the Fringe: Solar system record breaker

Lurking more than 13 billion kilometers from Earth in the coldest, remotest part of the solar system, a newly discovered body is the most distant object ever found to orbit the sun and the largest denizen of the solar system discovered since Pluto.

Planetary Science

Revisiting a forgotten planet

Engineers are readying a NASA spacecraft for a May 11 launch to Mercury, one of the least-explored planets in the solar system.

Astronomy

Nudging asteroid fragments toward Earth

New computer simulations detail how fragments of asteroids travel to Earth and rain down as meteorites.

Astronomy

Invisible Universe

X-ray astronomy opens a new window on the most energetic cosmic events.