Astronomy

Travel through time to witness some of the most remarkable episodes in our solar system's history, uncovering its ancient origins and glimpsing the destiny that awaits it in the distant future

A physics phenomenon discovered 150 years ago allows tiny objects to levitate using just sunlight – and now it could enable swarms of sensors to explore part of Earth’s long-neglected upper atmosphere

A physics phenomenon discovered 150 years ago allows tiny objects to levitate using just sunlight – and now it could enable swarms of sensors to explore part of Earth’s long-neglected upper atmosphere

Some 2.6-million-year-old teeth found in Ethiopia hint that an unknown species from the Australopithecus genus coexisted with one of our Homo relatives, but it is hard to draw firm conclusions from the evidence

Some 2.6-million-year-old teeth found in Ethiopia hint that an unknown species from the Australopithecus genus coexisted with one of our Homo relatives, but it is hard to draw firm conclusions from the evidence

The medieval-looking "helmet" is the latest addition to Mars' gallery of odd-shaped rocks.

Meltwater from a glacial lake outburst is flooding Juneau, Alaska. Such events are likely to happen more often as climate change destabilizes ice and glacial lakes fill with more meltwater

Ancient teeth found in Ethiopia belong to a never-before-seen species in the Australopithecus genus of human ancestors

An alligator moves through a brackish waterway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares space with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. More than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles call NASA Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.

A new study finds that liquids other than water might be able to support life on worlds beyond Earth, potentially expanding the envelope of life throughout the cosmos.

Combining 25 years of space-based data with ocean sampling, scientists have uncovered a change in the microscopic organisms that underpin the Southern Ocean’s food chain and carbon storage.

The exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 d intrigues astronomers looking for possibly habitable worlds beyond our solar system because it is similar in size to Earth, rocky, and resides in an area around its star where liquid water on its surface is theoretically possible. But according to a new study using data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, it does not have an Earth-like atmosphere.

The star, called DFK 52, is a member of a cluster of similar red supergiants, but it's losing mass at an extreme rate never seen before.

Forecasters warn Erin may intensify into the season's first major hurricane within days.

OpenAI’s latest large language model has achieved seemingly underwhelming improvements in performance, leading to questions about whether the AI industry can make significant advancements with its current designs

OpenAI’s latest large language model has achieved seemingly underwhelming improvements in performance, leading to questions about whether the AI industry can make significant advancements with its current designs

Meeting online may be the norm in today's dating scene, but connecting offline initially may lead to better relationship outcomes

Meeting online may be the norm in today's dating scene, but connecting offline initially may lead to better relationship outcomes

A large simulated moonscape built by the Colorado School of Mines is open for business, allowing researchers and companies to test their ideas for lunar rovers, landing pads, mining gear and more.

The Chinese lunar lander Lanyue recently passed a test in a simulated moon-like environment.