https://phys.org/space-news/ en-us The latest science news on astronomy, astrobiology, and space exploration from Phys.org. The asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs also created an underground environment suited to supporting new life, and new research suggests it lasted for millions of years longer than previously suspected. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dino-asteroid-fueled-underground-life.html Astrobiology Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:20:02 EDT news700231012 Solar flares are the most explosive energy-release events in the solar corona, leading to intense particle acceleration, plasma heating and bulk plasma motions on short timescales. Core questions during solar flares remain unresolved, including how and where particle acceleration occurs, and how energized electrons propagate through coronal magnetic structures. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-meerkat-reveals-electron-sites-solar.html Astronomy Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:40:01 EDT news700228561 Astronomers have identified a possible new example of one of the universe's strangest galaxy types: galaxies that appear to contain little or no dark matter. The newly studied pair, FCC 224 and FCC 240, on the outskirts of the Fornax Cluster, share several unusual traits with the only known pair of controversial dark-matter-deficient galaxies. The findings were uploaded to the arXiv preprint server on May 22. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dark-deficient-twins-fornax-cluster.html Astronomy Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:20:03 EDT news700143095 Asteroids and planetesimals regularly bombarded Earth between about 4.6 billion and 3.5 billion years ago, during the Hadean and Archean eons. Because few rocks today are more than 4 billion years old, our understanding of the planet's environment during that time is limited. However, samples from the moon and its cratered surface hint at the period's rate of cosmic impacts. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cosmic-bombardment-earth-crust-prebiotic.html Astrobiology Mon, 08 Jun 2026 19:40:04 EDT news700143613 Astronauts on long space missions may one day use plants to produce fresh stocks of medicines on demand, thanks to new research by engineers at the University of California San Diego. The team developed a simple method to grow and repeatedly harvest pharmaceuticals from plants under space-like conditions, without destroying the plants or generating large amounts of waste. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-medicines-space.html Space Exploration Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:20:01 EDT news700143676 Using a novel simulation model based on machine learning, an international research team at GSI/FAIR has succeeded in gaining a deeper understanding of element formation in stellar events such as neutron star mergers. For the first time, the scientists used deep learning with a neural network to model the energy release during r-process nucleosynthesis in hydrodynamic simulations. The results are published in the journal Physical Review D. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-neutron-star-merger-simulations-gain.html Astronomy Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:00:07 EDT news700140362 A new theoretical study may have cracked one of the most puzzling discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): Little Red Dots, spotted across the early universe. The paper, posted to the arXiv preprint server on May 29, argues that these objects could be black holes caught in rare, violent bursts of feeding at a rate exceeding theoretical limits. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-black-hole-jwst-red-dots.html Astronomy Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:20:03 EDT news700134702 A supermassive black hole lies at the heart of every galaxy, including the Milky Way. When a black hole is active, it pulls material in as a whirlpool of high-temperature gas and dust. As this cosmic material piles up and falls onto a black hole, it lights up its vicinity, radiating a huge amount of energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-astronomers-earliest-flickering-quasar.html Astronomy Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:04:52 EDT news700135106 This April, humanity had front-row seats to space as the Artemis II Orion spacecraft transmitted crystal-clear footage of its historic journey around the moon from more than 250,000 miles (about 402,000 kilometers) back to Earth at speeds on par with home internet connections. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-artemis-ii-livestreamed-def-videos.html Space Exploration Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:40:03 EDT news700133941 The IAA SETI Committee has updated rules for evaluating and revealing the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-alien-stricter-verification-disclosure.html Astronomy Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:00:04 EDT news700129803 Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used simulations to show that a newly developed, compact X-ray telescope could be used to map the chemical composition of the entire lunar surface, a vital breakthrough for understanding its geological evolution. Detailed modeling of the detector and a realistic satellite mission show that two years would be enough to map five key elements, while an array of 5-by-5 detectors could improve resolution and get results faster. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lunar-orbiter-concept-reveal-key.html Space Exploration Sun, 07 Jun 2026 15:48:23 EDT news700066069 Astronomers have employed the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to perform deep spectroscopic observations of a peculiar spiral galaxy known as W2246f. Results of the observational campaign, published May 27 on the pre-print server arXiv, offer new insights into how this galaxy evolved and shed more light on its nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-muse-spiral-galaxy-w2246f-uncovering.html Astronomy Sat, 06 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news699872311 Astronomers have investigated a puzzling binary star system in which two stars that may have formed together now show dramatically different chemical compositions. The new study, uploaded to the arXiv preprint server on May 29, hints at the possibility that one of the stars may have swallowed its own planets. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-star-planets-clues-chemical-paradox.html Astronomy Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:40:01 EDT news699871330 New simulations show that interactions with a magnetic field can work to decrease the distance between still forming binary protostars. These results can help explain the characteristics of the binary star systems observed in the Milky Way. The results can also be extrapolated to binary black holes, giving insights into how supermassive black holes evolve. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-magnetic-field-binary-star-simulations.html Astronomy Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:40:07 EDT news699875938 A team led by York University researchers has discovered the fastest wind near a supermassive black hole ever found at ultraviolet wavelengths, driven by the disk of matter (quasar) surrounding the black hole. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ultraviolet-quasar-supermassive-black-hole.html Astronomy Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:20:01 EDT news699803941 Researchers have developed the Smaller Than Earth Habitability Model (STEHM) to assess which planets can maintain life-supporting atmospheres, focusing on size and atmospheric dynamics. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-atmosphere-survival-refines-habitable-planets.html Astrobiology Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:40:04 EDT news699795001 The most distant, nearly invisible dormant black hole has been detected and "weighed" by an international team of astronomers that includes researchers from UCL. The study, published in Science, identified a dormant black hole at the heart of a galaxy known as MRG-M0138 located over 10 billion light years away. It is the most distant dormant black hole yet detected, 15 times farther away than the previous record. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-jwst-dormant-black-hole-billion.html Astronomy Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:00:11 EDT news699784502 Electrons around Jupiter have been caught in the process of being accelerated, revealing a potentially unified mechanism for particle acceleration. The findings, published in Nature, may help constrain how energetic particles are produced throughout the universe. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-jupiter-reveals-electrons-relativistic.html Astronomy Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:00:07 EDT news699786541 University of Florida researchers are exploring how lasers could help astronauts build structures on the moon using materials already available there, including lunar soil transformed into glass. The work, led by Victoria M. Miller, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and researcher with the UF Astraeus Space Institute, recently completed a research phase focused on laser forming, a manufacturing process that bends materials without physical contact. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-laser-origami-astronauts-moon.html Space Exploration Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:40:07 EDT news699780961 In the region where the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover will search for signs of life, clay deposits extend beyond previous estimates, a new study finds. One hypothesis even suggests a vast ocean once covered the landing site. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-exomars-rover-vast-bed-clay.html Astrobiology Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:40:05 EDT news699783180 NASA-supported scientists have provided new information about how the early Earth may have acquired some elements necessary for the planet to become habitable. They also suggest a new role for Jupiter in the distribution of these elements throughout the young solar system. The study, published in Science Advances, examines this history by looking at the ratio of phosphorus to nitrogen in iron meteorites and in younger objects known as chondrites. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-jupiter-redirected-life-ingredients-earth.html Astrobiology Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:50:01 EDT news699726061 Scientists at the SETI Institute recently searched for technological signals from 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object observed in our solar system. Using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in Northern California, the team scanned a wide range of radio frequencies for signs of extraterrestrial technology and found none, as expected based on other astronomical observations showing that the object exhibits natural comet-like composition and behavior. The paper is published in The Astronomical Journal. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-interstellar-3iatlas-reveals-technosignatures-hour.html Astrobiology Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news699724681 The weather on Earth can get pretty messy sometimes. But in space, it can be wild, and the effects can be far-reaching. Solar flares, giant explosions on the sun, can send out streams of energy that block radio communications and fry satellite electronics. Geomagnetic storms, caused by variations in solar wind, can mess with GPS signals and spark current surges on Earth that overload power grids. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-space-weather.html Planetary Sciences Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:00:01 EDT news699718021 Scientists from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, sought to study one stellar subject and ended up finding something even more exciting. The team's results published today in Astronomy & Astrophysics. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-brightness-gap-ancient-star-cluster.html Astronomy Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:40:04 EDT news699720313 The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX)—which recently completed the largest survey ever taken of the early universe—has released all of its immense, information-rich database to the public. Built from more than half a petabyte of raw and processed data, it will allow astronomers to study how the first galaxies formed and evolved, measure how gas and stars were distributed within these galaxies, map the large-scale structure of the cosmos, and investigate rare and unexpected objects not easily found in traditional surveys. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hetdex-massive-cosmic-noon-dataset.html Astronomy Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:33:25 EDT news699708781 Everyone knows that finding the right sauce recipe can make or break a barbecue, but now astronomers are using BBQSORS (pronounced "barbecue sauce") as part of the recipe to explain quasars, some of the brightest objects in the universe. These results were made possible by data from a new instrument on the Subaru Telescope. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-bbq-sauce-phase-link-red.html Astronomy Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:20:05 EDT news699703202 From planetary rovers and asteroid sample return missions to the recent Artemis II flight above the far side of the moon, we are seemingly good at doing space. But our achievements still do not match many of our space dreams, science fiction or otherwise. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-solar-edge-closer-reality-interstellar.html Space Exploration Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:20:02 EDT news699698513 An international team of astronomers have employed one of the Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs) at the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) to observe a distant blazar known as OP 313. Results of the observational campaign, published May 26 on the arXiv preprint server, shed more light on the behavior and nature of this object. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-distant-blazar-op-emits-high.html Astronomy Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:20:04 EDT news699634088 Using more than a decade of observations from the VISTA Survey of the Magellanic Clouds (VMC), researchers measured the motions of millions of stars across the Small Magellanic Cloud with unprecedented precision. The new study, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, provides direct evidence of a galaxy-wide tidal disruption of the Small Magellanic Cloud from its interaction with the Large Magellanic Cloud. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-small-magellanic-cloud-reshaping-astronomers.html Astronomy Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:00:04 EDT news699624660 Four-and-a-half billion years ago, a massive world—possibly as big as the moon or even Mars—orbited our sun before crashing into another celestial body and shattering into rubble. Now, in a paper published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, scientists report the first definitive evidence that this lost planetary embryo (protoplanet) existed. Its unique geological makeup challenges long-held assumptions about how planets evolve. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-rare-meteorite-evidence-giant-early.html Planetary Sciences Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:10:01 EDT news699632881