Scientists suspected that the moon of Europa had an ocean of water beneath frozen ice. A new study suggests that water may be …
Astronomy
The Rock That Clobbered Russia: Meteor Post Mortem
New studies of last years’ incident in Chelyabinsk suggest that more such cosmic shellings may lie aead
Alone in Space: Free-Floating Planet Discovered
Celestial drifter baffles and excites astronomers
Running in Space!
While in space, NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg demonstrates how to run on a treadmill
Weather Patterns on a Cosmic Oddball
The almost-stars known as brown dwarfs have a lot more going on than we knew
Snapshots of the Heavens: Amazing Astronomy Photos
The Royal Observatory has culled through over 800 entries from astronomers and astro-photographers around the world to release its compilation of the best astronomy photos so far this year. Astronomy Photographer of the Year is …
Blowhard Galaxies and the Great Cosmic Wind
High winds can be enough of a problem here on Earth — a fact we’re learning anew as Hurricane Isaac fades into history and Hurricane Leslie stirs to life. As it happens, a stiff wind in space shouldn’t be overlooked either. So-called galactic winds, which are primarily photons shed from massive stars but sometimes also include …
Tatooine Now: NASA Finds Planet Orbiting Binary Star System
It’s not just science fiction. NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has found evidence of multiple planets orbiting a binary star system.
Starstruck: Three Little Exoplanets All in a Row
Not all solar systems are as tidy as ours, but a new discovery means we’re not quite so alone anymore
Spinning In the Heavens — Spiral Galaxies
Though the universe is full of spiral-shaped galaxies, no two look exactly the same. Here are some striking examples