Astronomy

You know, if you think about it, and trust me we’re about to, the Moon is kind of weird.

How can thermoelectric generators (TEGs) help advance future lunar surface habitats? This is what a recent study published in Acta Astronautica hopes to address as a team of researchers from the Republic of Korea investigated a novel technique for improving power efficiency and reliability under the Moon’s harsh conditions. This study has the potential to help mission planners, engineers, and future astronauts develop technologies necessary for deep space human exploration to the Moon and beyond.

New analysis of human deep space communications suggests the most likely places to detect signals from an extraterrestrial intelligence.

How do you tell how old an astronomical object is? I mean, the next time the Moon is in the sky, take a look at it. How would you even begin to answer that question?

The 33rd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission for NASA, scheduled to lift off from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in late August, is heading to the International Space Station with an important investigation for the future of bone health.

Using stem cells from mice, researchers from Kyoto University tested the potential damage spaceflight can have on spermatazoa stem cells and the resulting offspring. After six months aboard the ISS, the stem cells were used to successfully produce healthy offspring.

A set of instruments shut off almost 50 years ago are still producing useful results. It’s the seismometers left by the Apollo missions to monitor moonquakes, which as the name suggests are earthquakes but on the Moon.

Comets are like the archeological sites of the solar system. They formed early on, and their composition helps us understand what the area around the early Sun was like, potentially even before any planets were formed. A new paper from researchers at a variety of US and European institutions used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) to capture detailed spatial spectral images of comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which is very similar to the famous Halley’s comet, and might hold clues to where the water on the Earth came from.

In 2022, astronomers announced the discovery of GJ 3929b. It's a rocky planet, similar to Earth in both mass and size. Astronomers have examined the planet with the JWST and concluded that it's a barren world with no atmosphere.

Hulu's hit animated sci-fi show returns Sept. 15 with a 10-episode binge-worthy barrage.

Asteroid Ryugu is proving to be one of the most scientifically valuable time capsules in the solar system.

This quiz will challenge your knowledge of Mars' features, missions, and mysteries.

Stargazers will need a clear view of the western horizon to spot the moon near Spica as the sun sets on Aug. 27.

A new long-term study suggests that the more heat waves people are exposed to, the more their body’s aging process accelerates

Scientists have developed a new and improved method to better understand "steam world" exoplanets, a move that could refocus the search for life.

New research tapping into decades-old concepts is challenging the notion that the only way to treat cancer is to kill every last cancer cell. Instead, scientists suggest, we could try a little persuasion

New research tapping into decades-old concepts is challenging the notion that the only way to treat cancer is to kill every last cancer cell. Instead, scientists suggest, we could try a little persuasion

SpaceX shared spectacular photos of its Falcon 9 night launch carrying the U.S. Space Force's X-37B space plane to orbit on Aug. 21, 2025.

Some fast X-ray transients — quick flashes of energetic radiation — may come from massive stars collapsing and exploding at the same time.

The post Weird X-ray Flashes Lose Some of Their Mystery appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope reveal unexpectedly high levels of carbon dioxide coming off 3I/ATLAS, giving another clue to the comet’s origin