Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Physics
Neutron star collisions probably make more gold than other cosmic smashups
Smashups of two neutron stars produce more heavy elements than when a black hole swallows a neutron star, calculations suggest.
- Planetary Science
Pluto’s dark side reveals clues to its atmosphere and frost cycles
Light from Pluto’s moon Charon illuminated the dwarf planet’s farside offering clues about how nitrogen cycles between its surface and its atmosphere.
- Space
A rush to watch a supernova exposed its last gasp before exploding
By studying the final years of stars, scientists hope to find clues to help them recognize when other stars are about to blow.
- Planetary Science
What the Perseverance rover’s quiet landing reveals about meteor strikes on Mars
InSight tried to detect seismic waves created by the arrival of its sister mission, helping scientists uncover how Mars absorbs energy from impacts.
- Astronomy
Astronomers may have spotted the first known exoplanet in another galaxy
The spiral-shaped Whirlpool galaxy may be the host of the first planet spotted outside of the Milky Way.
- Space
5 cool things to know about NASA’s Lucy mission to the Trojan asteroids
NASA’s Lucy is the first spacecraft to head to the two giant clumps of space rocks that tag along in Jupiter’s orbit.
- Earth
Earth is reflecting less light. It’s not clear if that’s a trend
A decrease in Earth’s reflectance shows our planet is absorbing more solar radiation, but it’s not clear if the trend will last.
- Astronomy
A Jupiter-like planet orbiting a white dwarf hints at our solar system’s future
A new planet is the first ever discovered that is orbiting a white dwarf and resembles Jupiter in both its mass and its distance from its star.
- Astronomy
The fastest-spinning white dwarf ever seen rotates once every 25 seconds
A white dwarf star that spins every 25 seconds owes its record-breaking rotation rate to a companion star dumping gas onto it.
- Astronomy
China’s lunar rock samples show lava flowed on the moon 2 billion years ago
The first lunar rocks returned to Earth in more than 40 years show that the moon was volcanically active later than scientists thought.
- Science & Society
How our SN 10 scientists have responded to tumultuous times
COVID-19, social justice movements and the realities of climate change have given our Scientists to Watch new perspective.
- Astronomy
When James Webb launches, it will have a bigger to-do list than 1980s researchers suspected
The James Webb Space Telescope has been in development for so long that space science has changed in the meantime.
