Science & Astronomy

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A view from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter of a crater on Mars that formed in 2012.

Megatsunami swept over Mars after massive asteroid hit the Red Planet

By Charles Q. Choi published

A Martian megatsunami may have raced across the Red Planet after a cosmic impact similar to the one that likely ended Earth's age of dinosaurs, a new study finds.

The Hubble Space Telescope captured the galaxy merger Arp-Madore 417-391 in a photo released Nov. 21, 2022.

Hubble Space Telescope captures dazzling embrace of merging galaxies

By John Loeffler published

A newly released photo from the Hubble Space Telescope captures a spectacular galaxy merger in progress.

An image of the Pillars of Creation reveals a combined view if the telescope's NIRCam and MIRI instruments.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff published

An interactive map of the universe displaying the actual positions and real colors of 200,000 galaxies.

Beautiful interactive map of the universe lets you journey through space-time almost to the Big Bang

By Robert Lea published

A new interactive map of the cosmos allows users to journey from our galaxy to the most distant sources of light that existed just after the Big Bang.

An illustration of a meteorite in space heading towards Earth.

Meteorites reveal how they brought space water to Earth

By Elizabeth Rayne published

Meteorites that fall to Earth are ancient time capsules, and scientists who merged two imaging techniques may be able to tell us if and how they brought water to Earth.

Two views of Saturn's moon Titan captured by the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam instrument.

James Webb Space Telescope view of Saturn's weirdest moon Titan thrills scientists

By Meghan Bartels published

It's been a cloudy season for Saturn's largest moon, Titan.

two masked people in protective suits work at the bottom of a spacecraft

Europa Clipper instrument delays worry scientists eyeing 2024 launch

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA's bold mission to explore Jupiter's icy moon is facing tight schedules getting instruments installed and ready for the planned 2024 launch.

December moon phases 2022 illustrated with a series of images showing the moon progressing from fully illuminated to partially illuminated then not illuminated and then partially illuminated again.

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2022

By Tariq Malik last updated

Reference See the phase of the moon tonight and the rest of the moon phases for 2022, and when you can see them.

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NASA's Perseverance Mars rover watches a rocket carrying some of its collected samples launch from the Red Planet's surface in this still from a NASA/ESA animation.

Here's how NASA and Europe will bring Mars samples back to Earth (video)

By Andrew Jones published

A new video shows how a team of NASA and European Space Agency spacecraft plan to relay Martian rock samples to Earth.

The canyon-like hole, visible as a dark gulf running vertically down the sun's center.

Solar storm from 'canyon-like' hole in the sun could hit Earth as soon as Thursday (Dec. 1)

By Ben Turner published

The hole could beam solar material outwards at speeds up to 1.8 million mph (2.9 million kph)

Artist's illustration shows a gray and cratered Mercury in the foreground and a bright glowing yellow sun in the background to the right.

Mercury: Facts about the closest planet to the sun

By Charles Q. Choi, Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference Planet Mercury is the sun's nearest planetary neighbor. It has short years, long days, huge surface temperature fluctuations and really weird sunsets.

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The European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on Nov. 28, 2022, captured a view of the Mauna Loa eruption that uses infrared data to emphasize the lava.

Satellites track glowing lava from Hawaii's Mauna Loa eruption (photos)

By Meghan Bartels published

Satellites are watching closely as the world's largest volcano erupts for the first time in decades.

A chunk of black and gray meteoric rock which contains the two brand-new minerals

2 minerals never seen before on Earth found inside 17-ton meteorite

By Ben Turner published

The minerals were found inside a slice of the El Ali meteorite, which was discovered in Somalia in 2020.

A 3D representation of a wormhole

Breakthrough wormhole simulation may unite quantum physics and general relativity

By Robert Lea published

A quantum experiment has been used to model the dynamics of a wormhole, which could be the key to uniting quantum physics and Einstein's general relativity.

The BlueWalker 3 satellite streaks above Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.

Astronomers denounce super-bright new BlueWalker 3 satellite

By Briley Lewis published

Astronomers are increasingly concerned about the future of the night sky as new images show shocking trails left by a massive communications satellite against otherwise clear, dark patches of sky.

An artist's depiction of a supermassive black hole blasting out a jet of "leftovers" as it devours a star.

Super-distant black hole is eating half a sun a year and blasting its leftovers at Earth

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers have made the most distant observation of a black hole ripping apart a star and feasting upon it, thanks to a jet of stellar "leftovers" blasted directly toward Earth.

An illustration of a black hole

Lab-grown black hole may prove Stephen Hawking's most challenging theory right

By Ben Turner published

By using a chain of atoms to simulate a black hole's event horizon, researchers have shown that Hawking radiation may exist just as the late physicist described.

In this aerial view, flood water surround a building after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before hitting Florida's east coast.

Rising sea levels could swamp the US coastline by 2050, NASA predicts

By Joe Phelan published

Sea levels are expected to rise around the contiguous U.S. faster than previously thought, a new NASA study finds.

pale blue bright light against starry background

The hunt is on in neighboring galaxy for 2nd closest monster black hole to Earth

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers may finally have a way to hunt for a monstrous supermassive black hole they suspect lurks in the dwarf galaxy next door.

The day side of Venus covered in clouds as seen by Akatsuki

Search for possible sign of life in Venus' clouds comes up empty

By Andrew Jones published

The aircraft-borne SOFIA telescope could not find signs of a compound possibly linked to biological activity during observations of Venus' atmosphere.