Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Earth
Ancient rocks reveal when rivers began pouring nutrients into the sea
Rivers began pumping weathered material into the sea about a billion years after Earth formed, suggesting continents may have gotten an early start.
- Space
Life’s ingredients have been found in samples from asteroid Bennu
Samples from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission show the asteroid Bennu had organic molecules and minerals and possibly salty water and other life ingredients.
- Astronomy
A cosmic ‘Platypus’ might link two astronomical mysteries
A flash of light called the Platypus has hallmarks of a mid-sized black hole shredding a star and a type of burst thought to be a stellar explosion.
- Astronomy
Galactic chaos at cosmic noon may have stunted Milky Way planet formation
High radiation during a time of frenzied star formation in the Milky Way left one stellar population with few chances to form planets, a study reports.
- Planetary Science
A crumbling exoplanet spills its guts
Astronomers have determined the internal composition of a distant, disintegrating planet for the first time.
- Cosmology
How we might finally find black holes from the cosmic dawn
After decades of study, scientists sound genuinely optimistic about the possibility of detecting primordial black holes, which might explain dark matter.
- Planetary Science
Pluto may have captured its moon Charon with a kiss
When Pluto met Charon, there was an instant connection, new simulations suggest.
- Space
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe survived its closest approach to the sun
The solar probe came within 6.1 million kilometers of the surface of the sun and lived to tell the tale.
- Particle Physics
Scientists are building underwater neutrino telescopes in the Mediterranean
The KM3NeT telescopes, currently under construction, will catch high-energy neutrinos that could reveal secrets of the cosmos.
- Science & Society
These are the 5 most popular Science News stories of 2024
Science News drew millions of visitors to our website this year. Here’s a recap of the most-read and most-watched news stories of 2024.
- Space
50 years ago, astronomers saw the surface of a distant star for the first time
In the 1970s, technological advances let scientists peer through stars’ atmospheres. Now, scientists can measure roiling gas in the stars themselves.
- Life
These scientific feats set new records in 2024
Noteworthy findings include jumbo black hole jets, an ultrapetite frog, ancient asteroid remnants and more.
