Astronomy

Despite its small size, Mars seems to have a huge impact on the orbital cycles that govern Earth’s climate, especially those that cause ice ages

Despite its small size, Mars seems to have a huge impact on the orbital cycles that govern Earth’s climate, especially those that cause ice ages

The Circinus Galaxy, a galaxy about 13 million light-years away, contains an active supermassive black hole that continues to influence its evolution. The largest source of infrared light from the region closest to the black hole itself was thought to be outflows, or streams of superheated matter that fire outward.

What powers this unusual nebula?

Socializing children at a young age helps them develop greater diversity in their microbiome, according to an analysis of baby-to-baby transmission of gut bacteria

A record-breaking experiment shows that a cluster of thousands of atoms can act like a wave as well as a particle

New research suggests that getting even just a few more minutes of sleep and exercise and eating an extra cup of vegetables every day can significantly boost longevity

Radio images captured this “cosmic volcano” being reborn at the heart of the galaxy J1007+3540

As deepfakes blur the line between truth and fiction, we’ll need a new class of forensic experts to determine what’s real, what’s fake and what can be proved in court

In one day, 433 people won the Philippine lottery jackpot. What were the chances?

This infrared view of Jupiter by Webb is illuminating.

We live near a fusion reactor in space that provides all our heat and light. That reactor is also responsible for the creation of various elements heavier than hydrogen, and that's true of all stars. So, how do we know that stars are element generators?

This weekend’s freezing temperatures and snow won’t just affect humans—zoo animals need to get ready for the coming storm, too

The earliest galaxies in the universe earned the nickname "monster galaxies" for good reason, they formed stars at rates hundreds of times faster than the Milky Way, growing rapidly after the dawn of time. Astronomers using ALMA and the James Webb Space Telescope have now revealed that three such monsters each achieved their extraordinary growth through completely different mechanisms. By comparing where stars are forming today with where they formed in the past, researchers discovered that galaxy collisions, internal instability, and minor mergers can all trigger these growth spurts, fundamentally changing our understanding of how the universe's most massive galaxies came to be.

Gravitational lensing is a powerful tool that brings impossibly distant galaxies into reach. The JWST uses galaxy clusters and their overpowering to magnify background galaxies that are otherwise beyond our observational capabilities. One cluster, named MACS J1149.5+2223, is 5 billion light-years away and holds at least 300 galaxies, probably many more. It's been chosen as the JWST's Picture Of The Month.

Relaxing radiation safety standards could place women and children at higher risks of health issues

Tech giants are betting that we are finally ready to invite a persistent digital device into our lives

A green and red aurora streams across Earth’s horizon above the city lights of Europe in this Jan. 19, 2026, photograph, which looks north across Italy toward Germany. The International Space Station was orbiting 262 miles above the Mediterranean Sea at approximately 10:02 p.m. local time when the image was captured.

A drug that kills cancer cells by puncturing them comes with an additional benefit: tests in mice suggest it reduces the growth of pain-sensing nerves around tumours