Science & Astronomy

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Hundreds of bright blue stars sparkle against the dark background regions of dust clouds, from which new stars are born, including the massive protostar OH 339.88-1.26, which lurks at the center of this image, behind the dark vertical streak.

Star-studded stellar nursery shines in new Hubble Telescope photo

By Samantha Mathewson published

The Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3 photographed a massive protostar lurking behind star-forming clouds of dust and gas in the constellation Ara.

Stars and Galaxies
A sort of hazy, blurred ring of light is seen against the backdrop of space. In the center of the ring is a blueish glow.

James Webb Space Telescope snaps stunning view of supernova's expanding remains (photos)

By Keith Cooper published

The exploded guts of a supergiant star are giving up new secrets in a case of stellar CSI.

James Webb Space Telescope
An image of Jupiter in space.

Amateur astronomers spot new impact on Jupiter

By Andrew Jones published

A flash of light on our solar system's gas giant has alerted space enthusiasts of an intriguing impact

Jupiter
a large wavy-striped planet hangs in space. a star can be seen burning in the disance next to the crescent of another planet.

NASA's exoplanet hunter TESS spots warm Jupiter with longest known year

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Astronomers using NASA's exoplanet-hunting TESS satellite have found a "warm" Jupiter with the longest period ever seen with an alien world.

Alien Planets
a vast field of shining galaxies

This gamma-ray space mystery may finally be solved with new black hole simulations

By Keith Cooper published

Here's why a black hole crashing into a neutron star belched out an odd gamma-ray burst.

Black Holes
animation showing several flashes of white light bursts from around the Milky Way.

What are fast radio bursts?

By Robert Lea published

Reference Fast radio bursts — fleeting blasts of energy that are brighter than entire galaxies — remain mysterious. Here's what we know (and don't know) about FRBs.

Reference
Mars with the sun in the distance SAVE

Sun launches surprise blob of plasma at Mars, could trigger eerie Martian auroras

By Harry Baker published

The sun has launched a surprise coronal mass ejection directly at Mars, which could spark auroras on the Red Planet and potentially erode part of Mars' remaining atmosphere when it hits on Sept. 1.

Sun
Hurricane Idalia hits Florida's Big Bend region.

A blue supermoon and soaring ocean temperatures created a perfect storm for Hurricane Idalia

By Sascha Pare published

The storm intensified overnight and made landfall near Keaton Beach, Florida, on the morning of Aug. 30.

Earth
Members of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, the European Space Agency, the Australian Space Agency, and the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization are in Western Australia's Pilbara region to investigate "stromatolites," the oldest confirmed fossilized lifeforms on Earth. They discuss the importance of geological context when choosing sampling sites and ensuring the integrity of a sample's biological origin while considering plans for future missions to bring Mars samples to Earth.

Clues to spotting life on Mars are right here on Earth

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Search for life on Mars could be aided by investigating ancient fossils here on Earth.

Mars
Large pink supermoon rises through wispy clouds above Vancouver city skyline.

Supermoon: What is it and when does it occur?

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

Reference A supermoon occurs when the full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit. 2023 will experience four supermoons.

Reference
Graphic showing moon phases in august as full moon on Aug. 1, Third quarter on Aug. 8, new moon on Aug. 16, first quarter on Aug 24. Full moon on Aug. 30

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2023

By Tariq Malik last updated

Reference See the phase of the moon tonight and the rest of the moon phases for 2023, and when you can see them.

Reference
a small capsule descends toward a desert landscape beneath an orange and white parachute.

NASA conducts crucial drop test ahead of Sept. 24 arrival of OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample

By Mike Wall published

The OSIRIS-REx team performed a crucial drop test on Wednesday (Aug. 30), practicing what they'll do when the mission's real asteroid sample comes home on Sept. 24.

Asteroids

Hurricane Idalia slams into Florida as astronauts and satellites track it from space (video, photos)

By Elizabeth Howell published

Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida on Wednesday (Aug. 30) in view of both satellites and astronauts in space.

Earth
Chandrayaan 3 mission's Vikram lander photographed on the moon's surface by the Pragyan rover.

India's Chandrayaan-3 moon rover Pragyan snaps 1st photo of its lander near the lunar south pole

By Tereza Pultarova published

India's Pragyan moon rover photographed its mothership, the Vikram lander, for the first time as the two continue their exploration halfway through the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Moon
A pale blue planet, partly shrouded in shadow, against the backdrop of space.

Scorching Neptune-size world is way too massive for astronomers to explain

By Charles Q. Choi published

Astronomers have unexpectedly discovered the heaviest Neptune-like planet yet — one four times more massive than our solar system's Neptune.

Alien Planets
An illustration of the ISS transmitting information to the system via laser beam, and the system transmitting that information down to Earth via another laser beam.

SpaceX resupply mission will bring NASA laser communication system to ISS this year

By Rahul Rao published

If this tech demonstration is successful, the system could one day allow astronauts to converse by laser.

NASA
An illustration shows the pulsar PSR J1023+0038 stripping material from a companion star.

Dead 'vampire' star is feeding on a companion and firing out cosmic cannonballs

By Robert Lea published

A dead star feeding on a stellar companion seems to have two brightness modes. It's because, astronomers discovered, the system launches cosmic cannonballs.

Stars and Galaxies
four people surround a small yellow-orange space capsule in a dry, flat desert lakebed.

NASA discussing September arrival of OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample: Watch live today

By Mike Wall published

NASA will discuss the September arrival of asteroid samples collected by its OSIRIS-REx probe during a press conference today (Aug. 30), and you can watch it live.

Asteroids
Tracks in lunar soil made by the Pragyan rover.

India's Chandrayaan-3 moon rover reveals surprising sulfur find in lunar south pole soil

By Rahul Rao published

An instrument aboard the mission’s Pragyan rover has found traces of sulfur within the lunar south pole’s soil.

India Space Program
illustration of an orange jupiter-like planet with a bright yellow-white star in the distance

Bizarre super-puffy exoplanet hosts rare 'thermometer molecule'

By Robert Lea published

A rare temperature-sensitive molecule usually found in stars has been discovered in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time, a marshmallow-like hot Jupiter called WASP-31b.

Alien Planets