Astronomy

New research from the University of St Andrews has found that giant free floating planets have the potential to form their own miniature planetary systems without the need for a star.

Earth's history was shaped by the bombardment of icy and rocky bodies. These impacts delivered volatiles and organic compounds to the planet. They also brought water, helping Earth become the life-supporting planets it is today. Could the same thing happen on exoplanets?

Little Red Dots are thought to be young supermassive black holes at the center of early galaxies. That would make them young versions of Active Galactic Nuclei. But Little Red Dots don't emit much x-ray light, and we're starting to learn why.

In an unprecedentedly precise accelerator experiment, researchers directly observed how some of the heaviest known elements react and form molecules

In an unprecedentedly precise accelerator experiment, researchers directly observed how some of the heaviest known elements react and form molecules

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover captured a breathtaking panorama of the Red Planet surface depicted in false-color under a blue sky.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have teamed up to identify a new possible example of a rare class of black holes. Called NGC 6099 HLX-1, this bright X-ray source seems to reside in a compact star cluster in a giant elliptical galaxy.

Ahead of Alien: Earth's two-episode premiere, we talked to series creator Noah Hawley and executive producer David W. Zucker.

A perfect storm of conditions priming the atmosphere for extreme heat could result in devastating droughts and deadly temperatures lasting for weeks across Europe

A perfect storm of conditions priming the atmosphere for extreme heat could result in devastating droughts and deadly temperatures lasting for weeks across Europe

While moonlight might steal the spotlight, it won't steal the Perseids' show.

The latest observations of 3I/ATLAS suggest it resembles comets from the outer reaches of our solar system, but may be smaller than initially estimated

The latest observations of 3I/ATLAS suggest it resembles comets from the outer reaches of our solar system, but may be smaller than initially estimated

It’s a disappointing star projector, but the Discovery Space Projector has some nice scientific images of moons and planets.

The LaView Galaxy Star Projector posits itself as a premium option, but doesn’t quite live up to the competition.

New Hubble Telescope imagery of the interstellar interloper comet 3I/ATLAS reveals a dusty coma and the beginning of a tail.

Scientists have spotted a mysterious mineral on Mars that may be new to science — and could help reveal some Red Planet mysteries.

Week in images: 04-08 August 2025

Discover our week through the lens

A survey of more than 1,000 physicists finds deep disagreements in what quantum theories mean in the real world