Astronomy

Sunspot region 4114 has done it again! This time unleashing a colossal X1.9 solar flare.

We’ve known for nearly a century that UV radiation is linked to skin cancer, but modern advice about sunburn can be confusing. To understand what works, you need to know what UV really does to your skin

We’ve known for nearly a century that UV radiation is linked to skin cancer, but modern advice about sunburn can be confusing. To understand what works, you need to know what UV really does to your skin

Astronomers are puzzled by a strong burst of radio waves traced back to a NASA satellite that had been inactive since the 1960s

Astronomers are puzzled by a strong burst of radio waves traced back to a NASA satellite that had been inactive since the 1960s

Spacecraft can get a significant boost by stealing energy from planets

The early Solar System was filled with both hydrogen and oxygen that can chemically bond into water. But did we create all the water, or was some of it inherited from the earlier times, already present in the protostellar nebula? Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to study a newly-forming protoplanetary system called L1527 IRS, which will eventually become a star like our Sun. They found evidence that water from interstellar space is preserved when it becomes part of a new star system.

If our Solar System seems stable, it's because our short lifespans make it seem that way. Earth revolves, night follows day, the Moon moves through light and shadow, and the Sun hangs in the sky. But in reality, everything is moving and influencing everything else, and the fine balance we observe can easily be disrupted. Could passing stars have disrupted Earth's orbit and ushered in dramatic climatic changes in our planet's past?

In 1912, astronomer Victor Hess discovered strange, high-energy particles called "cosmic rays." Since then, researchers have hunted for their birthplaces. Today, we know about some of the cosmic ray "launch pads", ranging from the Sun and supernova explosions to black holes and distant active galactic nuclei. What astronomers are now searching are sources of cosmic rays within the Milky Way Galaxy. One such source is a pulsar wind nebula sending high-energy particles out to space.

Shortly after astronomers detected asteroid 2024 YR4 on December 27th, 2024, they realized it posed no threat to Earth. But it still might impact the Moon in 2032. The impact debris could threaten satellites and trigger an extraordinarily stunning meteor shower.

As more men turn to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for energy, mood and muscle, experts warn the risks are still not fully understood.

James Webb Space Telescope finds exoplanets in extreme environments that could potentially be habitable.

Image: A close-up view of Vienna, Austria’s capital city, is featured in this image from April 2025.

ESA Delivers: 50 years booklet

50 hallmark achievements across 50 years

Rocket Lab planned to launch a satellite for a confidential customer early Friday morning (June 20), but Mother Nature didn't cooperate.

Unlike other primates, humans are exposed to high levels of placental sex hormones in the womb, which may have shaped our evolutionary brain development

Unlike other primates, humans are exposed to high levels of placental sex hormones in the womb, which may have shaped our evolutionary brain development

For centuries Mars has been called "the Red Planet" and there's a scientific reason why.

A powerful new technique is poised to revolutionize how astronomers observe black holes, by producing sharp, multicolored images that could reveal their dynamic evolution in real time.

A newly identified brain circuit in mice may explain why we sleep longer and deeper after being sleep deprived – and lead to new treatments for sleep conditions