Astronomy
NASA Is on the Cusp of a New Era
A planetary scientist explains why SpaceX’s Starship will transform her field.
Ignorance: How It Drives Science, a New Podcast
In this premier episode, the hosts ask astronomer Jill Tarter who or what’s out there.
The Safety Belt of Our Solar System
Mapping the heliosphere, which shields us from harmful cosmic rays.
Looking for Life on Mars
An astrobiologist and a director on the joys and challenges of filming space science.
Where Aliens Could Be Watching Us
More than 1,700 stars could have seen Earth in the past 5,000 years.
The Universe Has Already Made Almost All the Stars It Will Ever Make
Black holes are cosmic dimmers.
My Personal Quest to Study Supernovae on Mars
Overcoming sexist naysayers and self-doubt in astrophysics.
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.
