Science & Astronomy

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orange meshlike material broken by a dark spot

Why are sunspots black?

By Brandon Specktor published

Why are sunspots black? According to astronomers, it may be a big, cosmic optical illusion.

black and white view of criss cross of icy streaks on jupiter's europa with black sky in behind

Behold! Our closest view of Jupiter's ocean moon Europa in 22 years

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA's Juno spacecraft skimmed close above the surface of icy Europa Thursday (Sept. 29), capturing a view of the crust that is just the start of our new study of this ocean world.

NASA's Jupiter-exploring spacecraft Juno made a close pass at the giant planet's ice-covered moon Europa on Sept. 29. 2022.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff published

NASA's Jupiter explorer Juno has made a close flyby of the giant planet's ice-covered moon Europa, providing the most detailed views of this strange world in more than twenty years.

Star-studded night sky above trees and rolling hills, the starlight is reflected in a seasonal pond below.

3D sky: How astronomers measure the size, luminosity and distance of stars

By Joe Rao published

Stars differ in size, luminosity and distance from us. We discuss how astronomers measure these three values to understand the three-dimensional sky.

NASA and SpaceX are conducting a six-month feasibility study to assess whether a Dragon mission could safely boost the orbit of, and perhaps also otherwise service, the Hubble Space Telescope.

SpaceX, NASA look at launching Dragon to service Hubble Space Telescope

By Mike Wall published

Astronauts could visit the Hubble Space Telescope again someday, this time on a SpaceX Dragon.

A series of three images from the Hubble Space Telescope showing a plume of ejecta in blue from the DART impact.

DART asteroid crash seen by James Webb, Hubble space telescopes (photos)

By Tereza Pultarova published

The James Webb Space Telescope and its older counterpart Hubble photographed the impact of NASA's asteroid-smashing DART probe into the space rock Dimorphos on Monday (Sept. 26).

NASA has taken the Hubble Space Telescope back online after a recent glitch.

Update: SpaceX, NASA studying possible reboost mission to Hubble Space Telescope

By Mike Wall published

NASA, SpaceX and Hubble officials will hold a press conference today (Sept. 29) to discuss "potential commercial space opportunities for NASA science missions," and you can listen live.

many stars against black background

James Webb Space Telescope spots 'Sparkler Galaxy' that could host universe's 1st stars

By Robert Lea published

The first deep-field image revealed from the James Webb Space Telescope hid a wealth of treasure including a sparkling galaxy that could host the universe's first stars.

a grey orb partially lit against black background

Juno flies past Jupiter's icy moon Europa in 1st spacecraft visit since 2000

By Andrew Jones published

NASA's Juno probe is all set for a close flyby of Jupiter's icy moon Europa on Thursday (Sept. 29), which could possibly reveal tremendous new insights into Europa's crust and interior.

rippled swirl of stars against black background

The Milky Way is 'rippling' like a pond, and scientists may finally know why

By Brandon Specktor published

New research suggests that a strange 'ripple' is causing the Milky Way's stars to vibrate out of step, and an ancient collision with Sagittarius may be to blame.

Europe's Hera spacecraft accompanied by two cubesats will investigate the battered asteroid Dimorphos in detail in 2027.

Asteroid-smash aftermath: Why Europe is sending a probe to DART-battered Dimorphos

By Tereza Pultarova published

More than four years after DART's collision with the asteroid Dimorphos, Europe's Hera mission will help validate the space rock deflection experiment.

Countless white lines streak across the image of the Milky Way bar along the center. The white lines represent the motion of stars.

Milky Way galaxy: Everything you need to know about our cosmic neighborhood

By Tereza Pultarova, Daisy Dobrijevic published

Reference We are living in a golden age of Milky Way research and exploration.

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Artist's illustration of Venus

Venus: The scorching second planet from the sun

By Charles Q. Choi, Chelsea Gohd published

Reference Planet Venus will have a flurry of spacecraft visit it in the next few years as scientists seek to learn more about the volcanic, lava-filled planet.

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NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this natural-color image of Hurricane Ian at about 12:00 a.m. EDT (16:00 GMT) on September 27, 2022,

Satellites track monstrous Hurricane Ian as it threatens 'catastrophic' devastation in Florida

By Tereza Pultarova published

Hurricane Ian has grown into an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm above the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico ahead of Florida landfall.

a rock against a space background with Earth and moon in background

Evidence of dinosaur-killing asteroid impact found on the moon

By Robert Lea published

Lunar glass reveals that large meteorite strikes on Earth, like the impact that killed the dinosaurs, were not isolated events.

glowing orb

Astronomers discover traces of 'super-supernovas' that destroyed earliest stars

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers have discovered the chemical traces of the universe's earliest stars that died in super-supernova explosions.

shiny object on dark reddish surface

Mars is littered with 15,694 pounds of human trash from 50 years of robotic exploration

By Cagri Kilic published

airplane with hold in side

NASA's flying telescope is coming to the end of its mission but leaves a strong science legacy

By Stefanie Waldek published

Since 2014, SOFIA has been cruising through the night skies around the world, looking at the cosmos, but that mission ends this week.

observatory watches as signal from space spirals into large dish

Repeating fast radio burst with weird magnetic field challenges magnetar explanation

By Keith Cooper published

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.

Lunar eclipses don't require any specialist equipment to view. Here a series of moon phase images arranged in a horizontal line show the progression of a lunar eclipse.

What are lunar eclipses and how do they occur?

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Reference Lunar eclipses occur when Earth blocks the sun and casts a shadow over the surface of the moon. We explore the different types of lunar eclipses here.

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