Astronomy

Imagine worlds where water exists in forms so exotic that they defy our everyday understanding of matter, where the familiar liquid we drink every day transforms into something that behaves like neither gas nor liquid. These aren't science fiction fantasies, but real planets that represent some of the most common worlds in our Galaxy, and scientists at UC Santa Cruz have just developed new models to understand them.

Liftoff occurred at 2:06 p.m. EDT on Saturday (Sept. 6).

What created this unusual planetary nebula?

Genetic-sequencing techniques have identified microorganisms that lived in the mouths of ancient mammoths

JetBlue planes will start using Project Kuiper satellite Wi-Fi in 2027.

A SpaceX cargo craft showed its ability to keep the ISS flying high.

About 150 million years ago storm winds snapped bones in the wings of baby pterosaurs, sending them tumbling to their deaths in a muddy lagoon in what is now Germany

The first national study of its kind shows that children from marginalized communities are more exposed to extreme heat events

What processes are responsible for our Sun’s solar wind, heat, and energy? This is what a recent study published in Physical Review X hopes to address as a team of researchers presented evidence for a newly discovered type of barrier that the Sun exhibits that could help explain the transfer of energy to heat within the Sun’s outer atmosphere. This study has the potential to help scientists better understand the underlying mechanisms for what drives our Sun and what this could mean for learning about other suns throughout the cosmos.

A possible galaxy named Capotauro may have formed within 90 million years of the big bang – but astronomers can’t be sure that’s what it is

A possible galaxy named Capotauro may have formed within 90 million years of the big bang – but astronomers can’t be sure that’s what it is

Researchers have finally traced the origin of the spotted ratfish’s bizarre forehead teeth, which are used for mating

Two fossils found in Germany show very young pterodactyls with arm bones thought to have been broken in flight, probably because of severe tropical cyclones

Two fossils found in Germany show very young pterodactyls with arm bones thought to have been broken in flight, probably because of severe tropical cyclones

A biodegradable glue that encourages bones to repair themselves can be applied during surgery using a hot glue gun, potentially offering a cheap and quick way to treat injuries

A biodegradable glue that encourages bones to repair themselves can be applied during surgery using a hot glue gun, potentially offering a cheap and quick way to treat injuries

Seeing and imagining use similar brain machinery. New research reveals the brain circuit that identifies what is real, which may help scientists understand conditions such as schizophrenia

Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team member works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.