Astronomy

It is possible to make a material emit more radiation than it absorbs, violating the laws of physics in a way that could make energy-harvesting devices more efficient

Here's a collection of exclusive book recommendations, from slithering snakes to a river's impact, for your summer reading lists, curated by Scientific American

Cosmic archeologists have used the James Webb Space Telescope to excavate ancient disk galaxies that tell the story of how the Milky Way and other modern galaxies evolved.

Operators lost contact with the MethaneSAT satellite on 20 June, a significant blow to efforts to track – and stop – methane emissions

Operators lost contact with the MethaneSAT satellite on 20 June, a significant blow to efforts to track – and stop – methane emissions

Orientation is more important than most people thing when it comes to sensing. A common example would be when the lasers of a garage door are mis-aligned, forcing the door to remain open until they are brought back in line. But when it comes to scientific sensors, orientation is even more important. So it was with great fanfare that NASA announced a new way to orient sensors on one of the most venerable of its spacecraft - the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) - and the resultant scientific discoveries it enabled.

The phenomenon is created by the shifting play of light and shadow over the lunar surface.

The arrow of time can teach us more about how the universe began – and how it will end, says quantum columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

The arrow of time can teach us more about how the universe began – and how it will end, says quantum columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

The Australian company Gilmour Space has delayed the launch of its Eris-1 rocket yet again, pushing back indefinitely from the previously planned July 2 date.

You may think you know static electricity, but its true nature has long eluded scientists. We’ve now made a huge leap towards finally figuring it out

You may think you know static electricity, but its true nature has long eluded scientists. We’ve now made a huge leap towards finally figuring it out

Links to the U.S.’s most comprehensive climate reports—the National Climate Assessments—disappeared from the Internet on Monday, along with the official government website that houses them

American companies launched 21 commercial space missions in June 2025, which was a new record for a single month, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

People with Chiari malformations have a skull shape similar to Neanderthals, suggesting that the condition may be caused by DNA inherited from archaic humans

People with Chiari malformations have a skull shape similar to Neanderthals, suggesting that the condition may be caused by DNA inherited from archaic humans

A distant cluster of galaxies is wrapped in a vast halo of high-energy particles that could be the work of supermassive black holes or a cosmic particle accelerator.

The Mars rover captured images of low ridges called boxwork patterns, which appear like spiderwebs from space.

Antarctic sea ice extent has fallen dramatically in recent years – the effects include accelerated ocean warming, faster loss of inland ice sheets and severe impacts on wildlife

Antarctic sea ice extent has fallen dramatically in recent years – the effects include accelerated ocean warming, faster loss of inland ice sheets and severe impacts on wildlife