Samantha Mathewson

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is unusually rich in alcohol — a chemical clue that could reveal how planets and icy bodies form around other stars.

Spacecraft of the future may be able to detect and repair their own structural damage in orbit, a capability that could make long-duration missions and reusable launch vehicles more resilient.

Newly released Mars images offer a detailed look at one of the Red Planet's oldest, most heavily cratered regions, a landscape shaped by billions of years of impacts, volcanism and erosion.

Astronomers have unveiled one of the most ambitious maps yet of the early universe, revealing a vast "sea of light" between galaxies that had remained otherwise hidden in previous surveys.

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has transformed new views of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus into immersive soundscapes, turning planetary data into audio you can hear.

The web-like features are believed to be sculpted by ancient groundwater, offering new clues about the Red Planet's watery past.

A persistent "gravity hole" beneath Antarctica gives scientists a window into Earth's deep interior, showing how processes far below reshape the planet's gravity field over millions of years.

The observations offer a rare glimpse into our solar system's early history.

New satellite imagery reveals that Doñana National Park, one of Europe's most valuable wetlands, is shrinking so rapidly that it could disappear within a human lifetime.

Astronomers have spotted a heart in the cosmos — not Cupid's doing, but a dying star shedding its layers — just in time for Valentine's Day.

Astronomers have discovered a planetary system that appears to flip one of astronomy's most reliable rules on its head.

Life on Earth may exist thanks to an incredible stroke of luck — a chemical sweet spot that most planets miss during their formation but ours managed to hit.

Relatedly, astronomers may have just pushed the upper size limit of what counts as a planet.

New infrared observations reveal that the rare interstellar visitor known as comet 3I/ATLAS has dramatically brightened during its farewell tour of the solar system.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has spotted a young star flinging heat-formed crystals outward on a cosmic conveyor belt, offering a new clue to how comets evolve.

Jupiter harbors more oxygen than the sun, a new study finds, giving astronomers a crucial clue about how our solar system's planets formed.

The image was captured in November 2025, showing how lighting changes throughout the day on Mars.

The 247th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS 247) is being held Jan. 4 to Jan. 8 and will feature remarkable findings in exoplanet research and discussions shaping the future of astronomy.

From astronauts looping around the moon to spacecraft reaching Mercury and asteroids near Earth, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for space exploration.

A rare interstellar comet has been caught in X-rays by two space telescopes, revealing how its gases interact with charged particles from the sun as it travels through the inner solar system.

A strange, spider-like scar on Jupiter's icy moon Europa may mark where salty water once surged up through its fractured crust.

A novel "X-arithmetic" technique reveals how black holes shape the universe's largest structures.

For the first time, we can see and hear lightning-like discharges in Mars' thin atmosphere.

Frequent flares from the nearby star TRAPPIST-1 could offer new clues in the search for habitable planets beyond Earth.

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now fully assembled and ready to begin launch preparations this summer.