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Screenshot from a new NASA animation highlighting some of the universe's biggest black holes, including the record-holding TON 618, which is about as massive as 60 billion suns.

Tour 10 mind-bending supermassive black holes in this NASA video

By Robert Lea published

A new NASA animation shows the tremendous scales of supermassive black holes, which have masses millions to billions of times that of the sun and dominate the centers of most galaxies.

Illustration of the temperature on the moon showing the moon against a background of stars. A large question mark is in front of the moon and a cartoon thermometer is to the left.

What is the temperature on the moon?

By Tim Sharp, Doris Elin Urrutia last updated

Reference We explore what the temperature is on the moon and see why it varies so considerably.

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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured this shot of Uranus and six of its 27 known moons.

Uranus' 4 biggest moons may have buried oceans of salty water

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

The four biggest moons of Uranus — Titania, Oberon, Ariel and Umbriel — may harbor salty oceans beneath their frozen surfaces, a new study suggests.

Graphic illustration of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter above the surface of the moon with a partly illuminated Earth in the background.

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: A guide to NASA's venerable lunar orbiter

By Rahul Rao last updated

Reference The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is an uncrewed spacecraft currently orbiting and studying the moon. We explore the lunar orbiter in more detail here.

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A distant red star erupting with a fiery flare that extends far off the star's surface

Gargantuan 'superflare' from distant star may have launched one of the strongest solar storms ever seen

By Brandon Specktor published

Scientists studying a star system in Orion witnessed one of the most powerful stellar eruptions ever seen — and it could be devastating to nearby planets.

steam rises above a bubbling, iron-rich geyser

How did Earth's continents form? Leading theory may be in doubt

By Robert Lea published

Geologists and planetary scientists are rethinking how Earth's continents may have formed after discovering that the leading theory may not be possible after all.

This new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope shows interacting galaxies known as AM 1214-255

NASA shares stunning deep space images for Black Hole Week 2023

By Robert Lea published

Black hole week kicked off on Monday (May 1) with scientists and space enthusiasts alike celebrating our growing understanding of these cosmic titans.

Researchers have generated a global map of Mars using data from China's Tianwen 1 orbiter.

China's Tianwen 1 orbiter produces global map of Mars (video)

By Andrew Jones published

China's space authorities have released a series of global images of Mars produced from data gathered by the country's first interplanetary mission, Tianwen 1.

Artist's impression of a protocluster of galaxies forming in the early universe.

Giant proto-galaxy in early universe devours recycled material to birth new stars

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

A faraway proto-galaxy has been observed feeding on recycled material, shedding more light on how galaxies sustain star birth across eons.

dark matter map showing magenta fuzzy sections in the center and to the sides of the sky map with a bright arc flowing the through the middle of the sky map.

If dark matter is 'invisible,' how do we know it exists?

By Robert Lea published

Despite making up most of the matter in the universe, dark matter doesn't interact with light. So how do astronomers know it is there?

The far side of the moon, as imaged by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. China aims to conduct the first-ever sample-return mission to the lunar far side in 2024 with its Chang’e 6 probe.

China to launch 1st-ever sample return mission to moon's far side in 2024

By Andrew Jones published

China will attempt to collect the first samples from the far side of the moon next year with its Chang'e 6 mission.

This artist’s impression shows a distant gas cloud that contains different chemical elements, illustrated here with schematic representations of various atoms.

Guts of the universe's 1st stars found in distant gas clouds

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers have found the fingerprints of material dispersed by the supernova deaths of the universe's first stars in distant gas clouds.

Artist’s impression of a dying sun-like star engulfing an exoplanet. 

Scientists catch real-life Death Star devouring a planet in 1st-of-its-kind discovery

By Charles Q. Choi published

The action 12,000 light-years away may presage what happens to Earth about 5 billion years from now.

an illustration of Jupiter's icy moon Europa

Europa: A guide to Jupiter's icy moon

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

Reference Europa is an icy moon of Jupiter and one of the four so-called Galilean moons of Jupiter. See more facts about Europa and its history here.

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a photograph of the surface of the moon

NASA squeezed oxygen from mock moon dust. It could help astronauts breathe easy one day.

By Josh Dinner published

Researchers at NASA's Johnson Space Center have successfully harvested oxygen from simulated lunar soil using a special high-temperature reactor.

Illustration of an expeditionary crew on Mars setting up drilling gear in a quest to use ice for sustaining a human presence on the Red Planet.

Mars ice deposits could pave the way for human exploration

By Leonard David published

Researchers are working to determine where and at what depths extractable ice exists on Mars. Such deposits could allow humanity to get a foothold on the Red Planet.

a grayish planet with a red star in the background

James Webb Space Telescope detects water vapor around alien planet. But where did it come from?

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted water vapor around an exoplanet that could indicate the presence of an atmosphere.

This wider view of the Uranian system with Webb’s NIRCam instrument features the planet Uranus as well as six of its 27 known moons (most of which are too small and faint to be seen in this short exposure). A handful of background objects, including many galaxies, are also seen.

Uranus' moons: A guide to the ice giant's strange tilted moons

By Robert Lea last updated

Reference At the outer edge of the solar system is the coldest planet Uranus, but it isn't alone. The ice giant is orbited by at least 27 moons, some as strange and unique as the ice giant itself.

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Artist's illustration of the view from the seas of a potentially habitable "Hycean" exoplanet.

'Hycean' exoplanets may not be able to support life after all

By Paul Sutter published

New research suggests that Hycean exoplanets would suffer from a catastrophic runaway greenhouse effect, causing their oceans to boil away.

an illustration of Saturn's rings disappearing over millions of years

Saturn's rings are disappearing. The James Webb Space Telescope may reveal how much time they have left.

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Saturn's rings are disappearing, and we don't know how much longer they will be around. The James Webb Space Telescope may be able to help pin down an answer.