Astronomers recently spotted a surprising “smiley face” beaming up from the surface of Mars as they surveyed the alien landscape as part of a new study. The emoticon-like structure, which…
Category: Astronomy
‘Surprising’ warmth above Antarctica is earliest observed on record
Temperature spikes above Antarctica in July represent the earliest warming of the stratosphere ever recorded, NASA observations show. Atmospheric scientists have been closely monitoring this region of Earth’s atmosphere, which…
Could we turn the sun into a gigantic telescope?
We have some incredibly powerful telescopes that have given us spectacular views of the cosmos and allowed us to look back to the early days of the universe. These observatories,…
A sprinkling of cosmic dust may have helped kick-start life on Earth
Cosmic dust may have helped to kick-start life on Earth, new research suggests. The findings challenge a widely held assumption that this was not a plausible explanation. The origin of…
Japan’s ispace will launch its 2nd lunar lander to the moon in December
Japanese space exploration firm ispace is gearing up for its second shot at landing on the moon. The mission, featuring a lander named Resilience and a tiny rover dubbed Tenacious,…
‘International Observe the Moon Night’ is Sept. 14. Here’s how to participate
Saturday, Sept. 14 marks NASA’s annual Observe the Moon Night, a worldwide event to promote lunar science and astronomy, celebrate cultural connections to the moon, and promote amateur lunar observations.…
Mystery of dwarf planet Ceres’ origin may finally be solved, thanks to retired NASA spacecraft
Scientists have used data from a long-retired NASA Dawn spacecraft to solve the mystery surrounding the origins of the strange dwarf planet Ceres. Ceres currently resides in the main asteroid…
NASA’s New Horizons probe gives us best estimate of deep space’s darkness
Space looks black, but just how dark is it? It’s a deceptively simple question that has puzzled astronomers since the 1960s. Now, thanks to data from NASA’s New Horizons probe,…
The biggest galaxies live in our universe’s supercluster ‘cities’
If we took a scenic drive through every era of astronomy, we’d start somewhere among ancient humans wondering why there are stationary fireflies stuck in the sky. We’d travel through…
SpaceX will start launching Starships to Mars in 2026, Elon Musk says
SpaceX’s Starship megarocket will start flying Mars missions just two years from now, if all goes according to plan. “These will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact…
