Astronomy
280 articles-
Jupiter’s Incredible Shrinking Spot
Earth’s meteorology could explain what’s behind the great red whorl’s waning. -
The Moss That Could Terraform Mars
A superhero plant that could thrive on the Red Planet. -
The Stars Foretell Our Doom
Post-apocalyptic star systems could reveal the fate of our own. -
Life Lessons from Hell-House Venus
How our inhospitable neighbor can help us find life elsewhere. -
A Cosmic Glitch in Gravity
Is gravity weaker over distances of billions of light-years? -
Discovering the First Other Earths
Inside the hunt for habitable planets. -
Nine Rebel Astronomy Theories That Went Dark
Bright ideas from astronomy’s biggest stars haven’t always worked out. -
Lithium, the Elemental Rebel
What a missing element can teach us about the universe. -
How a Total Eclipse Alters Your Psyche
The importance of feeling small and insignificant. -
Doubts Grow About the Biosignature Approach to Alien-Hunting
Recent controversies bode ill for the effort to detect life on other planets by analyzing the gases in their atmospheres.
-
Could Modified Gravity Kill Planet Nine?
A controversial theory can explain phenomena attributed to the mystery planet.
-
The Thorny Ethics of Making Alien Planets Habitable
Terraforming Mars could risk exterminating the very lifeforms we dream of discovering.
-
My 3 Greatest Revelations
The author on writing her book, Our Moon, about the power of our satellite to guide evolution and human curiosity.
-
The Enlightening Beauty of an Einstein Ring
What a trippy gravitational phenomenon can tell us about the universe. -
What Can We Hear in Space?
The music of the cosmos is stranger than you think. -
A Wild Idea to Solve the Mysteries of Black Holes
Could quantum mechanics hold the key? -
How to Find and Keep a Space Rock
NASA cosmic dust curator Marc Fries is here to explain. -
Jupiter’s Io Gets a Close-Up
A new image of our solar system’s most volcanic body.