Robert Lea
Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University. Follow him on Twitter @sciencef1rst.
Latest articles by Robert Lea
Bad news for life on Mars? Red Planet's wet epoch may have been shorter than we thought
By Robert Lea published
Water freely flowed across Mars billions of years ago, suggesting the Red Planet could also once have supported life. But this water may have existed for just a short time.
Scientists may finally know why this infamous supernova wears a 'string of pearls'
By Robert Lea published
SN 1987A is ringed by a strange string of hydrogen pearls that have puzzled astronomers for a long time, but researchers may finally have an explanation.
Scientists reveal never-before-seen map of the Milky Way's central engine (image)
By Robert Lea published
A new map spanning 500 light-years reveals the interaction between magnetic fields and dust in the Milky Way that will become the building blocks of stars.
Colliding neutron stars hint at new physics that could explain dark matter
By Robert Lea published
Extreme collisions between neutron stars could create exotic particles beyond the standard model, including axions, the hypothetical particle that comprises dark matter.
Speck of light glimpsed by Hubble is truly an enormous old galaxy, James Webb Space Telescope reveals
By Robert Lea published
The James Webb Space Telescope has zoomed in on a mere speck of light seen by Hubble, identifying it as a massive early galaxy that existed just 510 million years after the Big Bang.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope mission — Live updates
By Robert Lea published
Read the latest news about NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Scientists may have just caught 7 exotic 'ghost particles' as they pierced through Earth
By Robert Lea published
Devices buried deep within the south pole detected highly elusive tau neutrinos blasted toward Earth by powerful astrophysical events.
James Webb Space Telescope spots the icy building blocks of life swirling around infant stars
By Robert Lea published
Two infant stars are surrounded by swirling clouds that astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope found contain icy molecules that could form the building blocks of life.
NASA finds clue while solving Voyager 1's communication breakdown case
By Robert Lea published
In 2023, humanity's pioneering space mission, Voyager 1, stopped sending understandable data back to Earth. Now, NASA engineers may be closer to discovering the source of the issue.
How to watch SpaceX's 3rd Starship launch test live online today
By Robert Lea last updated
SpaceX's megarocket Starship, the largest and most powerful space rocket ever built, is set for a third test flight on Thursday (March 14). You can watch it live online for free.
Scientists find black hole spaghettifying star remarkably close to Earth
By Robert Lea published
Astronomers have discovered rather close evidence of a star being ripped apart and devoured by a supermassive black hole in a tidal disruption event.
Deep-space astronomy sensor peers into the heart of an atom
By Robert Lea published
"Developed initially for space observations, the Compton Camera has now proven its worth as a tool for addressing complex scientific questions in other domains as well."
Mars attracts: How the Red Planet influences Earth's climate and seas
By Robert Lea published
Scientists have discovered a surprising 2.4-million-year-cycle in deep-sea sediments that indicates Mars has an influence on Earth's oceans and climate.
The boiling surface of giant star Betelgeuse may be creating an illusion
By Robert Lea published
Betelgeuse appears to be rotating faster than is possible for such a massive star. New research suggests this is an illusion caused by the violently boiling surface of the red supergiant.
The James Webb Space Telescope hones in on star-forming region in the Triangulum Galaxy (images)
By Robert Lea published
The James Space Telescope has used its NIRCam and MIRI instruments to capture two dynamic views of the star-forming region NGC 604 in the Triangulum Galaxy.
Some 'dead' stars hide celestial fountains of youth beneath their surfaces
By Robert Lea published
Scientists have discovered that some "dead" white dwarf stars hide a metaphorical fountain of youth beneath their skin that helps them delay their cooling processes.
Dark energy remains a mystery. Maybe AI can help crack the code
By Robert Lea published
Dark energy has humans stumped. The force is sometimes even labeled "the worst prediction in the history of physics." Can AI do any better?
Icy asteroids help the James Webb Space Telescope uncover Neptune's history
By Robert Lea published
The powerful space telescope zoomed in on Mors-Somnus, a binary pair of icy asteroids that originated within the Kuiper Belt.
If aliens had our life-hunting equipment, could they find us?
By Robert Lea published
Scientists asked the question: If Earth was an exoplanet, what would reveal it hosts life? The answer was used to verify the usefulness of a planned space mission dubbed "LIFE."
How do astronauts use the bathroom in space?
By Robert Lea published
Reference Going to the toilet is a basic human function that even astronauts, as they further human space exploration, have to undertake. So how do astronauts 'boldly go' in space.
The James Webb Space Telescope's targets over the next year include black holes, exomoons, dark energy — and more
By Robert Lea published
The James Webb Telescope will be busy during Cycle 3 , with astronomers using the powerful telescope to hunt exomoons and supermassive black holes and investigate cosmic evolution.
NASA's ice-hunting VIPER moon rover getting ready to slither to the launch pad
By Robert Lea published
NASA's VIPER moon rover is a step closer to making its lunar journey late this year: The robot's flight instruments are fully installed and the rover over 80% built.
Heaviest pair of black holes ever seen weighs 28 billion times more than the sun
By Robert Lea published
The discovery could explain why, although supermassive black hole mergers are predicted theoretically, they have never been observed in progress.
'Wiggles' of energy waves over Earth could hold the universe's history
By Robert Lea published
The CLASS telescope has mapped how microwave energy "wiggles" over Earth to learn more about the cosmic fossil that could help reveal the story of the universe.
James Webb Space Telescope reveals how stellar blasts of radiation stunt planet birth
By Robert Lea published
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered how massive stars sculpt planetary systems and stunt planet birth with bombardments of harsh radiation.