Astronomy

Mars dust is toxic. How will future astronauts deal with it?

By Leonard David Published 5 August 26

Mars dust is known to contain various carcinogens, such as silica and numerous heavy metals. How will future astronauts mitigate the health risks?

A 9,000-pound SpaceX rocket will crash into the moon tonight. Will you be able to see it?

By Samantha Mathewson Published 4 August 26

While the impact itself probably won't be visible from Earth, observers may have a chance to spot a plume of debris rising above the lunar surface.

ISS astronaut spies a swirling super storm | Space photo of the day for Aug. 4, 2026

By Brett Tingley Published 4 August 26

From the International Space Station on Aug. 2, 2026, NASA astronaut Anil Menon captured an incredible photograph of a swirling typhoon in the Pacific Ocean.

'Significant areas of Mars may have once been covered by water': Scientists find hidden clue in Spirit rover data

By Samantha Mathewson Published 4 August 26

A new analysis of NASA's Spirit rover data reveals overlooked traces of crystalline hematite and altered magnetite.

A SpaceX rocket will crash into the moon this week. Why is it on a collision course?

By Mike Wall Published 3 August 26

The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will slam into the moon early Wednesday morning (Aug. 5). Here's what put it on this kamikaze course.

3 moons of Neptune may be remnants of ice worlds shattered in a catastrophic crash

By Charles Q. Choi Published 3 August 26

"We've had only a single flyby — Voyager 2 in 1989 — and these results make clear there's much more to learn."

The 1st 'three-headed' asteroid | Space photo of the day for Aug. 3, 2026

By Brett Tingley Published 3 August 26

New images reveal what astronomers believe is the first-known "trilobate" or three-headed asteroid in our solar system.

Astronomers watch a black hole's feeding frenzy end with a bad case of cosmic indigestion

By Robert Lea Published 3 August 26

Astronomers have discovered that the feeding frenzy of a distant black hole ended with a windy outburst.

Dinosaur-killing asteroid may have caused firestorms 17 times hotter than the thermal limit lethal to humans

By Stefanie Waldek Published 1 August 26

The dinosaurs may not have starved through a years-long winter. New evidence suggests a blanket of ultrafine impact dust set the planet on fire within hours.

How do supermassive black holes grow? AI finds 7 spacetime-warping 'quasars' that could help solve the mystery

By Samantha Mathewson Published 31 July 26

Astronomers found seven rare quasar gravitational lens candidates using AI, providing a powerful new tool for studying black hole and galaxy evolution.