A galaxy very different from our own may hold the key to seeing what our far future looks like. “We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum […]
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“Red and dead” might describe the stars in most ellipticals, but this nearby galaxy tells a different story. “The line that describes the beautiful is elliptical. It has simplicity and […]
This illustration represents the possible extent of an ancient lake inside Gale Crater on Mars. Examination of mudstone confirmed the exist of the lake which formed billions of years ago.
While hope remained over the weekend that Comet ISON may have survived its close encounter with the Sun, the 4.5 billion year-old comet fragmented on November 28.
Contrary to some media reports, the chance of 2013 TV135 colliding with Earth is only 1 in 63,000 according to NASA.
A uniquely-darkened spiral galaxy is one of the most unusual sights in the night sky. But what gives it its one-of-a-kind appearance? “Some day I hope to meet you. When […]
Even if the BICEP2 results turn out not to be from gravitational waves left over from inflation. “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of […]
No snark, no sarcasm, no judgement, just the genuine, honest answers to 22 creationist messages. “In science it often happens that scientists say, ‘You know that’s a really good argument; […]
The greatest Messier object of them all, a treat all winter long. “What caused me to undertake the catalog was the nebula I discovered above the southern horn of Taurus on […]
Where the first atoms in the Universe — the progenitors of all the normal matter that makes up everything we know — came from. “I see a lot of new faces. But, you know the […]
Now that a prototype of a crew capsule has been built and is ready for testing, it’s still not clear how the US’ next manned spacecraft will be used.
What everyone should know about where our matter-and-radiation-filled Universe came from. “I don’t think at this point we have any way of knowing where the laws of physics came from. We […]
Or, in theory, can they produce an infinite amount of energy? “The atoms become like a moth, seeking out the region of higher laser intensity.” –Steven Chu Each week on our […]
They’re the densest objects in the Universe, but even they won’t live forever. Here’s why not. “It’s like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None […]
If we scaled the entire Universe’s history from the Big Bang until now to be “one Universe year,” what would our future look like? “The way to love anything is to […]
It’s the first Virgo Cluster galaxy to rise over the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere, and you can find it tonight! “The image is more than an idea. It is a […]
Do changes in a gravitational field propagate instantaneously, at the speed of light, or at a different speed altogether? “The only problem with the speed of light, is it gets […]
These two images represent what is known as a hybrid eclipse, which involves both a total eclipse and an annular eclipse. That is what happened this weekend. The image comparison above is from 2005.
At least one in ten stars are orbited by an Earth-sized planet, according to data taken by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft.
Will Comet ISON survive its close encounter with the Sun?
The Leonid meteor shower will be visible, weather permitting, tonight through Monday, November 18. NASA and the SLOOH Space Camera are both offering live streams of the all-night show of the Leonid Meteor Shower.
Analysis of the first scoop of topsoil picked up by NASA’s Curiosity rover reveals a composition that includes two percent water. It could mean one less worry for future human visitors.
A surprising globular cluster found directly opposite to the galactic center! “A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain […]
How the Universe tells us its age, size, and properties, and leads us inescapably to the conclusion that it’s billions, not merely thousands, of years old. Today, we’re lucky enough to […]
NASA’s “black-hole-hunter” spacecraft, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has serendipitously discovered its first 10 supermassive black holes.
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has detected propylene, a chemical used to create food storage containers and other plastic items, on Saturn’s largest moon. It’s the first time this chemical has been found anywhere outside of Earth.
How one of the most interesting molecules on Earth behaves in the zero-gravity, zero-pressure environment of outer space. “Day after day, day after day,We stuck, nor breath nor motion;As idle as […]
This telephoto view from Kenya, captured on the morning of November 14, shows that Comet ISON has substantially increased in activity, surging to naked-eye visibility for dark sites and sprouting a more complex tail.
Astronomers in April, 2013 saw the biggest and brightest cosmic explosion ever witnessed, a large gamma-ray burst.
You’ll frequently hear people say “the science is settled.” Scientifically speaking, can it ever be? “All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to […]