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New Horizons needs a new flyby target—Vera Rubin can help

Exploration of the outer solar system may be getting a boost from the Vera Rubin Observatory (VRO). When this gigantic telescope opens its eye later in 2025, it begins a decade-long survey of the ever-changing sky. As part ...

Two new brown dwarfs discovered with TESS

An international team of astronomers reports the detection of two new brown dwarfs orbiting distant stars using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The newfound objects are about 30 times more massive than ...

Mapping cosmic shear to illuminate dark energy

Gravitational lensing often evokes images of a cosmic funhouse mirror: duplicated galaxies, dramatic arcs and distorted shapes. But the web-like, large-scale structure throughout the universe also bends light in a weaker, ...

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Astronomy
Puzzling observation by JWST: Galaxies in the deep universe rotate in the same direction
Astronomy
Observations of a nearby pulsar wind nebula reveal a radio jet feature with a helical magnetic field inside
Astronomy
NASA's newest space telescope Spherex blasts off to map the entire sky and millions of galaxies
Astronomy
White dwarf and red dwarf duo emit radio pulses every two hours
Astronomy
Black holes spew out powerful jets that span millions of light-years. We're trying to understand their whole life cycle
Astronomy
Mysterious radio pulses from space have been tracked down—and the source is not what astronomers expected
Astronomy
Researchers develop glass sensors for the Einstein Telescope
Astronomy
Supernova simulations show that low-mass star in binary system J0453+1559 could be a neutron star
Astronomy
Black hole X-ray binary SLX 1746–331 shows unusual outburst pattern
Astronomy
Four tiny planets are orbiting one of our nearest stars
Astronomy
Small, faint and 'unexpected in a lot of different ways': Dwarf galaxy discovery forces rethink of cosmic evolution
Astronomy
Investigating more than 1,000 star-forming regions to understand stellar birth
Astronomy
Team preps to study dark energy via exploding stars with NASA's Roman
Astronomy
Finding white dwarf-main sequence binaries in Gaia data with machine learning
Astronomy
JWST explores enigmatic mid-infrared rings in planetary nebula NGC 1514
Astronomy
Mysterious phenomenon at center of galaxy could reveal new kind of dark matter
Astronomy
Webb reveals unexpected complex chemistry in primordial galaxy
Astronomy
Webb peers deeper into mysterious Flame Nebula to find 'failed stars'
Astronomy
Astronomers find potential new class of icy interstellar objects
Astronomy
'Sloshing' from celestial collisions solves mystery of how galactic clusters stay hot

Other news

Optics & Photonics
Scientists unlock new dimension in light manipulation, ushering in a new era in photonic technology
Nanophysics
Advancing light-to-electricity energy conversion: New method extends lifespan of plasmonic hot holes
General Physics
Dialing in the temperature needed for precise nuclear timekeeping
Environment
Eat grass-fed beef, help the planet? Research says not so simple
Cell & Microbiology
Engineered E. coli could be used to produce biodegradable plastics
Plants & Animals
First documented sighting of a group of bowhead whales in Canada's Churchill River Estuary
Cell & Microbiology
Cells' mechanical force key to survival in cellular competition, study reveals
Paleontology & Fossils
A 15-million-year-old fossilized freshwater fish with preserved stomach contents is a newly discovered species
Soft Matter
Supercritical water's structure decoded: Analysis finds no molecular clusters, just fleeting bonds
General Physics
Study reveals the illusion of 'dazzle' paint on World War I battleships
Nanophysics
Light-powered artificial neurons mimic brain-like oscillations
Condensed Matter
The first observation of amplified spontaneous emission from electron-hole plasma in 2D semiconductors
Polymers
Machine learning enables customized plastics that could reduce environmental impact
Biochemistry
Micro metal-movers: Biochemists are one step closer to better cancer treatments
Evolution
How big brains and flexible skulls led to the evolution of modern birds
Cell & Microbiology
Slow, silent 'scream' of epithelial cells detected for first time
Plants & Animals
Iguanas floated one-fifth of the way around the world to colonize Fiji, genetic analysis indicates
Plants & Animals
Unique dove species is the dodo of the Caribbean and in similar danger of dying out
Molecular & Computational biology
RNA-editing protein insights could lead to improved treatment for cancer and autoimmune diseases
Archaeology
Cinnabar-stained teeth—a mystery from an ancient Turpan burial

Image: The Milky Way on the horizon

NASA astronaut Don Pettit used a camera with low light and long duration settings to capture this Jan. 29, 2025, image of the Milky Way appearing beyond Earth's horizon.

Lucy spacecraft takes its first images of asteroid Donaldjohanson

NASA's Lucy spacecraft has its next flyby target, the small main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, in its sights. By blinking between images captured by Lucy on Feb. 20 and 22, this animation shows the perceived motion of Donaldjohanson ...

If you're going to call aliens, use this number

Let's dive into one of those cosmic curiosities that's bound to blow your mind: how we might chat with aliens. And no, I'm not talking about elaborate coded messages or flashy signals. We're talking about something incredibly ...

How astronomers make deep maps of the Milky Way

Have you ever wondered how astronomers manage to map out the Milky Way when it's so incredibly vast? One of the most powerful tools is something called 21 cm radiation.

NASA's PUNCH mission to revolutionize our view of solar wind

The Earth is immersed in material streaming from the sun. This stream, called the solar wind, is washing over our planet, causing breathtaking auroras, impacting satellites and astronauts in space, and even affecting ground-based ...

Hubble spies a spiral that may be hiding an imposter

The sparkling spiral galaxy gracing this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image is UGC 5460, which sits about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. This image combines four different wavelengths of light ...