Latest articles by Keith Cooper
Very Large Telescope: Everything you need to know
Reference Here's a detailed look at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile, including its design and some of its major discoveries.
No, NASA's DART asteroid impact probably won't spark meteor showers on Earth — but maybe on Mars
Slower moving particles blasted out by the DART impact on the asteroid Dimorphos could create meteor showers on Mars — but it's unlikely they'll cause meteor showers over Earth.
SETI searches for alien life in over 1,000 galaxies using unexplored radio frequencies
New findings could elevate SETI into an extragalactic search for life beyond Earth.
Astronomers discover new 'odd radio circle' near the center of our galaxy
A mysterious ring invisible at all wavelengths except radio could be a trace of a dramatically unstable star shedding its skin.
James Webb Space Telescope finds 6 wandering 'rogue' planets that formed just like stars
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has discovered half a dozen rogue planets, one of which apparently hosts a newly forming moon system.
Europe's JUICE probe snaps hi-res pics of Earth and the moon on its way to Jupiter (photos)
JANUS, which is the high-resolution camera on the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, received a solid workout during the fly-by of Earth over Aug. 19 and Aug. 20.
Why the 7 worlds of TRAPPIST-1 waltz in peculiar patterns
The complex history of the orbits of the TRAPPIST-1 planets has been revealed, showing how they interacted with the disk of gas and dust that gave birth to them.
The sun hides its age with magnetic activity
Measurements of the sun's age via oscillations that ripple through it can vary depending on whether those measurements are made near solar minimum or maximum.
Perseverance rover's Mars samples must be brought back to Earth, scientists stress
Sedimentary deposits sampled by the Perseverance rover could contain evidence of past Martian life.
Some rocky exoplanets could have huge amounts of water in their molten cores
Young, hot planets could soak up a lot of water into their core, with up to 10 times more water inside than on the surface of the planet.
Are we alone? Intelligent aliens may be rare, new study suggests
A new interpretation of the famous Drake equation finds little reason to be optimistic about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Dark Energy Camera's new galactic portrait delves into dark-matter central
Located at the confluence of several dark matter filaments in the cosmic web, the Coma Cluster of galaxies is the perfect case study for understanding how these galactic conurbations grow.
James Webb Space Telescope adds to the confusing drama of Hubble tension
Measurements of cosmic expansion using Cepheid variable stars continue to create tension.
Is asteroid Psyche actually a planetary core? James Webb Space Telescope results cast doubt
The presence of hydrated minerals, including possibly water-ice, might indicate an unexpected origin for Psyche, far from the sun.
Ocean's worth of water may be buried within Mars — but can we get to it?
"We haven't found any evidence for life on Mars, but at least we have identified a place that should, in principle, be able to sustain life."
New Mars terraforming idea: engineered, heat-absorbing dust nanoparticles
Metal particles made from Martian dust could be released into the sky to raise temperatures on the Red Planet by over 50 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), a new study suggests.
Could the Perseid meteor shower threaten satellites and astronauts on the International Space Station?
We evaluate how the International Space Station is protected from the impacts of tiny meteoroids and the level of risk to smaller satellites.
Earth from space: Astronauts share photography tips for snapping amazing photos from the ISS
From thunderstorm sprites to volcanic plumes, and city lights to meteors, the world appears a different place from 250 miles (400 kilometers) up.
Venus may be able to support life, new atmospheric evidence suggests
Preliminary evidence for gases that could be biosignatures have been found in the atmosphere of Venus, but even if these biosignatures are real, does it necessarily imply life?
Moon robots could build stone walls to protect lunar bases from rocket exhaust
A robotic excavator could build a dry stone wall to act as a blast shield around a launch pad on the moon, a new study suggests.
The Extremely Large Telescope: Facts about the world's largest telescope
Reference Here's everything you need to know about the Extremely Large Telescope, which will become the largest telescope in the world when it is completed at the end of the decade.
X-rays reveal secret gas in huge and distant galaxy cluster
The Euclid and XMM-Newton missions have combined to show the hidden, hot gas that fills an immense galaxy cluster 2.7 billion light-years away.
Where do the moon's weird swirls come from? Scientists are trying to find out
Scientists are getting closer to explaining where bizarre lunar patterns that seem to have the involvement of magnetic fields come from.
