Einstein and the Suicide Star
A star doomed to be swallowed by a black hole provides a neat test for relativity theory
Articles from Contributor
How to Escape from a Black Hole
There are ways out of the gravitational death grip of a black hole — but it’s not easy
Starry Nights Were Never Like This
A good look at a night sky in a remote place like a desert can be jaw-dropping. It’s hard to imagine more stars could be packed even into so vast an expanse of sky. But the view from Earth — a planet orbiting a relatively …
Martian Blizzard! It’s Snowing on the Red Planet
New findings by a venerable NASA orbiter reveal a new dimension to Martian weather systems
Second Gunman in Death of the Dinosaurs
A cunning study of geology, shells and ancient magnetism offers clues to a long-ago extinction
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 …
Astronomy
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.
The Curiosity Rover Preps for Big Plans After its Daring Descent
Barreling in from space at 13,000 mph before stopping a mere 25 feet above the ground would make anyone want to catch their breath, and NASA’s Curiosity rover is no exception. Now that the “Seven Minutes of Terror” is …
Mars Curiosity Rover: Wheels Down on the Red Planet
The rover pulls off an improbable landing — and fires up its instruments for two years of research
The Coolest Mars Landing Ever Attempted
Touching down on another planet has never been easy, but the Curiosity rover takes it another step.