Keith Cooper
Keith Cooper is a freelance science journalist and editor in the United Kingdom, and has a degree in physics and astrophysics from the University of Manchester. He's the author of "The Contact Paradox: Challenging Our Assumptions in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence" (Bloomsbury Sigma, 2020) and has written articles on astronomy, space, physics and astrobiology for a multitude of magazines and websites.
Latest articles by Keith Cooper
What happened to the missing stars at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy?
By Keith Cooper published
The stellar companions of more than a dozen stars orbiting the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy have gone missing — and astronomers want to know why.
ExoMars: Europe's astrobiology missions to Mars
By Keith Cooper last updated
Reference Explore the European Space Agency's ExoMars mission in more detail, from the Gas Trace Orbiter to the Rosalind Franklin Martian rover.
What's next for Europe's JUICE mission? Here's what to expect on its long journey to Jupiter
By Keith Cooper published
Now that ESA's JUICE mission to Jupiter has successfully blasted off, what does the future hold for the next eight years as it cruises to the giant planet?
James Webb Space Telescope finds tiny early galaxy packing big star-forming punch
By Keith Cooper published
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has observed a galaxy in the early universe that could be the progenitor of galaxies such as our own Milky Way.
Galaxy cluster spied forming in early universe (photos, video)
By Keith Cooper published
Hot gas has been detected in a young proto-galaxy cluster in the early universe for the first time, shedding more light on how cluster components come together.
DART mission reveals asteroid Dimorphos is dry as a bone
By Keith Cooper published
Careful scrutiny of the debris from the impact of NASA's DART mission into Dimorphos has not found any evidence for water ice on the asteroid, nor the residue of thruster fuel from the spacecraft.
Building block of life found in sample from asteroid Ryugu
By Keith Cooper published
An organic compound that's part of the RNA molecules that transmit genetic information in cells has been discovered in samples from the asteroid Ryugu, suggesting the stuff of life came from space.
Europa Clipper: A guide to NASA's new astrobiology mission
By Keith Cooper published
Reference The Europa Clipper is NASA's mission to explore Jupiter's icy moon Europa. Explore the mission in more detail with our ultimate guide.
Exoplanets, dark matter and more: Big discoveries coming from James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers say
By Keith Cooper published
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has dazzled us plenty already, but the best is yet to come from the observatory, mission team members say.
Asteroids may have picked up building blocks of life from interstellar clouds
By Keith Cooper published
Scientists have taken a big step towards figuring out where building blocks of life such as amino acids and amines form in space.
How the risk of biological contamination could complicate the fate of Europe's Jupiter mission
By Keith Cooper published
If the huge Jupiter moon Ganymede is more potentially habitable than previously thought, it could alter the end of Europe's JUICE mission.
Physicists mimic gravity inside the sun using sound waves
By Keith Cooper published
The acoustically generated force will help astronomers better understand the sun's photosphere and the causes of space weather.
Mini astrobiology laser could join hunt for life on Mars and beyond
By Keith Cooper published
A mass spectrometer called the Orbitrap has been scaled down to fit on astrobiology missions to planets and moons of the solar system.
Puffy helium planets could explain exoplanet size mystery
By Keith Cooper published
Gaseous planets close to their star could see their hydrogen atmospheres evaporate, leaving behind helium that could be detected by the James Webb Space Telescope.
SKA Observatory (SKAO): A guide to the soon-to-be largest radio telescopes in the world
By Keith Cooper published
Reference What will be the world's most powerful radio telescopes promises to make transformative leaps in our understanding of galaxies, black holes, dark energy, fast-radio bursts and even SETI.
Astronomers poised to hunt new kind of gravitational wave
By Keith Cooper published
The gravitational waves would be weak, but potentially detectable by the next joint observing run of the world's gravitational-wave detectors.
What are gluons?
By Keith Cooper published
Reference Discover how gluons bind quarks together to form protons and neutrons and explore the form weird form of matter in which they existed just after the Big Bang.
Lego Icons Optimus Prime review
By Keith Cooper published
Lego and Hasbro team up to bring 1980s icon Optimus Prime into brick form.
Perseverance Mars rover files 1st detailed weather report
By Keith Cooper published
The weather station on NASA's Perseverance rover has chronicled the meteorology above Jezero Crater.
Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron review
By Keith Cooper published
The new range of highly detailed Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron miniature ships from Jazwares are loaded with play features and let you bring home the battle against the Empire.
Leptons: The elementary particles explained
By Keith Cooper published
Reference Here we look at what leptons are, how they fit in the Standard Model of particle physics, and their importance in atoms and particle decay.
Star survives spaghettification by black hole
By Keith Cooper published
A star has survived a close encounter with a black hole, but the black hole has been able to sneak a second bite.
Interstellar space: What is it and where does it begin?
By Keith Cooper published
Reference Interstellar space is filled with atoms and molecules, 99% of which is gas, and just 1% is cosmic dust.