Astronomy
Astronomers Find Secret Planet-Making Ingredient: Magnetic Fields
Scientists have long struggled to understand how common planets form. A new supercomputer simulation shows that the missing ingredient may be magnetism.
Squishy Neutron Star Setback Dampens Hopes of Exotic Matter
Groundbreaking results show that neutron stars of different masses may have the same size—upending astrophysical models.
A Wrinkle in Nature Could Lead to Alien Life
There may be more than one way to tune a universe for life.
New Kind of Space Explosion Reveals the Birth of a Black Hole
A supernova-like explosion dubbed the Camel appears to be the result of a newborn black hole eating a star from the inside out.
Comets Are More Dangerous Than We Thought
Could a comet, not an asteroid, have killed the dinosaurs?
If Aliens Exist, Here’s How We’ll Find Them
Two esteemed astrophysicists peer into the future of space exploration.
The Alien-Haunted World
Are space scientists too conservative and close-minded about the possibility that ET exists?
‘Unicorn’ Discovery Points to a New Population of Black Holes
Small black holes were nowhere to be found, leading astronomers to wonder if they didn’t exist at all. Now a series of findings, including a “unicorn” black hole, has raised hopes of solving the decade-long mystery.
Galaxy-Size Bubbles Discovered Towering Over the Milky Way
For decades, astronomers debated whether a particular smudge was close-by and small, or distant and huge. A new X-ray map supports the massive option.
