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
Asteroid Ryugu was born out in the cold, in the solar system's earliest days
By Keith Cooper published
The near-Earth asteroid Ryugu formed far from the sun, in the cold depths of the outer solar system, according to new analysis of samples returned from Ryugu by the Japanese Hayabusa2 mission.
Interstellar object 'Oumuamua still puzzling scientists 5 years after discovery
By Keith Cooper published
Five years after spotting 'Oumuamua, the first known object from beyond our solar system passing through, scientists are still figuring out what the strange object says about planetary systems.
Mars moon blocks out mighty Jupiter in rare satellite view (video)
By Keith Cooper published
The Mars Express spacecraft has witnessed a rare spectacle, spotting Mars' moon Deimos appearing to pass in front of Jupiter and its moons on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14).
Strange molecules swirl around supermassive black holes, James Webb Space Telescope finds
By Keith Cooper published
NASA's iconic new observatory has spotted surprising compounds around supermassive black holes.
Venus balloon prototype notches test flights over Nevada desert (video)
By Keith Cooper published
A unique, helium-filled, sulfuric-acid resistant balloon called an aerobot successfully completed two test flights over the Nevada desert.
Mock lava worlds will help the James Webb Space Telescope understand exoplanets
By Keith Cooper published
A catalog of rock types that could be found on exoplanets covered in lava will aid researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope in characterizing these molten worlds.
NASA's Titan Dragonfly will touch down on a field of dunes and shattered ice
By Keith Cooper published
NASA's Dragonfly mission to Saturn's largest moon will touch down on a terrain of dunes and shattered, icy bedrock, according to a new analysis of radar imagery from the Cassini spacecraft.
'Cannibal' stars have shortest known orbit of all binary systems
By Keith Cooper published
The stars are so close that the white dwarf can steal matter from its companion, and this matter piles up and explodes on the white dwarf's surface.
Everything that we know about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5
By Keith Cooper published
We go back to the future with a look at what lies ahead for Michael Burnham and her crew in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.
World Space Week: Sustaining astronomy in an age of satellite megaconstellations
By Keith Cooper published
The future of satellite constellations and the fight to save the night sky are reaching a crucial tipping point.
'Pale blue dot' planets like Earth may make up only 1% of potentially habitable worlds
By Keith Cooper published
Earth's delicate balance of land and water might be a cosmic rarity, with a new model suggesting that most planets are landlocked desert worlds.
Missing element for life may be present in ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus
By Keith Cooper published
The underground ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus may contain significant amounts of phosphorus, which is vital for life as we know it.
Advanced AI discovers a treasure trove of gravitational lenses
By Keith Cooper published
A machine-learning algorithm has helped astronomers discover thousands of gravitational lenses predicted by Einstein.
Lego International Space Station review
By Keith Cooper published
Join the astronauts in orbit with this excellent, although fragile, Lego International Space Station.
Repeating fast radio burst with weird magnetic field challenges magnetar explanation
By Keith Cooper last updated
The repeating blasts of a fast radio burst from a galaxy like our own is challenging a proposed explanation for these fleeting but energetic bursts of radio waves.
After DART's incredible asteroid impact, the science is only beginning
By Keith Cooper last updated
DART may have completed its journey, but the work is only just starting for scientists as they set about learning how much the asteroid Dimorphos was deflected by its impact.
NASA's Juno probe will peer beneath the icy crust of Jupiter's moon Europa
By Keith Cooper published
NASA's Juno probe will come closer to Europa than any spacecraft has in 20 years. Here's what Juno will investigate at the icy moon.
What is the Standard Model?
By Keith Cooper last updated
Reference The Standard Model of Physics is the theory of particles, fields and the fundamental forces that govern them.
What is the gravitational constant?
By Keith Cooper last updated
Reference What is the gravitational constant, how do scientists measure it, and is it really constant or can it change across time and space?
What are neutrinos?
By Keith Cooper published
Reference Inside the secret lives of neutrinos, the universe's 'ghost particles.' What are their properties, how are they created, and what can they tell us about fundamental physics?
NASA's DART asteroid-impact mission will be a key test of planetary defense
By Keith Cooper published
When the DART spacecraft impacts the asteroid Dimorphos on Sept. 26 in a test of our planetary defenses, it will be a continuation of work that started decades ago.
Saturn may have destroyed one of its moons to make its rings
By Keith Cooper last updated
Saturn's rings might have formed 100 million years ago when one of its icy moons was ripped apart by the planet's gravity.
Babylon 5 to return with a secret project featuring original cast
By Keith Cooper published
The 1990s science-fiction series, which pioneered multi-season arc storytelling, is about to get a revival.