Earth Sings with Mysterious Chorus Waves—And Deep Space Does, Too
Peculiar bursts of energy called chorus waves have been detected in deep space far from our planet, suggesting they could pose problems for long-distance space travel
NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program Faces Stark Choices
NASA sees two paths for saving its beleaguered plan to retrieve materials from the Red Planet but won’t choose between them until 2026
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Pluto May Have Won Its Moon Charon with a ‘Kiss’
Pluto and its largest moon Charon could have come together via a 10-hour “kiss-and-capture” encounter after a grazing collision
Ancient Moon Melt Event May Explain 150-Million-Year Gap in Age Estimates
The moon may have melted 4.35 billion years ago—explaining a lunar age mystery
Scientists Discover Earth Life inside an Asteroid Sample
Material from asteroid Ryugu riddled with earthly microbes provides a cautionary tale for scientists seeking signs of alien life
We May Be on the Brink of Finding the Real Planet Nine
If there’s a hidden world in the solar system, a new telescope should find it
Sunbeams and the Belt of Venus Are Delightful Twilight Sights
“Twilight rays” are but one of several viewing treats for the liminal time between day and night
First Rocks Returned from Moon’s Far Side Reveal Ancient Volcanic Activity
Samples from the far side of the moon gathered by China’s Chang’e 6 mission record eons of tumultuous lunar history
Famous Star Hasn’t Formed Planets, and We Don’t Know Why
The nearby star Vega, featured in the 1997 movie Contact, appears to have a smooth disk devoid of giant planets for reasons we can’t explain
What’s the Roundest Object in the Universe?
Finding a perfect sphere is actually pretty difficult
Happy New Year! (If You’re a Martian)
The Martian new year arrives with the Red Planet’s vernal equinox. Explaining why requires a deep dive into celestial mechanics and Earth’s calendrical history
The Three Types of Twilight
At dusk and dawn, the sky dances with three phases of in-between light