Astronomy

Letters to the editors for the October 2025 issue of Scientific American

The Nobel Prizes remind us how science can unite society and inspire hope for the future

Will brain science deliver answers about consciousness or hit another wall?

The James Webb Space Telescope should soon be able to spot the first generation of stars in space

Science in meter and verse

Motion is the new potion, and rest is no longer the best

Researchers are close to making “reversed” cells that may wipe us off the planet

The many, many ways researchers hope to solve the toughest mystery in science

Pick an unusual winning poker hand in this math puzzle

Play this crossword inspired by the February 2026 issue of Scientific American

Concerns around common sunscreen chemicals have prompted the search for natural alternatives, with lignin from wood being one of the most promising candidates

Concerns around common sunscreen chemicals have prompted the search for natural alternatives, with lignin from wood being one of the most promising candidates

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Space Weather Office is closely monitoring a notable space weather event, first detected 18:09 UTC on Sunday, 18 January 2026. We are collecting detailed information from our expert service centres.

Further details and updates will be provided here as they become available.

This page was last updated on 20 January 2026, at 14:00 CET.

What just leapt from the Sun?

Astronomers at the University of Warwick have discovered that black holes don’t just consume matter—they manage it, choosing whether to blast it into space as high-speed jets or sweep it away in vast winds.

Hydrogen Cyanide, which is toxic, may have played an important role in the emergence of life. Its unique properties, especially in frigid environments in space, may have helped generate the complex molecules necessary for life to appear.

Humans have always been fascinated with space. We frequently question whether we are alone in the universe. If not, what does intelligent life look like? And how would aliens communicate?

Deep beneath the surface of distant exoplanets known as super-Earths, oceans of molten rock may be doing something extraordinary: powering magnetic fields strong enough to shield entire planets from dangerous cosmic radiation and other harmful high-energy particles.

The strange principle of quantum entanglement baffled Albert Einstein. Yet finally putting quantum weirdness to the ultimate test, and embracing the results, turned out to be a revolutionary idea

The strange principle of quantum entanglement baffled Albert Einstein. Yet finally putting quantum weirdness to the ultimate test, and embracing the results, turned out to be a revolutionary idea