Although Mars seems cold and inhospitable today, it was a different story 3 billion to 4 billion years ago. A new study suggests that the Red Planet was once warm enough to host pouring rainstorms and flowing water, which would have created an environment that could support simple life. The knowledge of water on ancient…… MORE
NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is entering its final design stage before construction and testing of the spacecraft and the scientific instruments it will carry to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. “We are all excited about the decision that moves the Europa Clipper mission one key step closer to unlocking the mysteries of this ocean world,” said…… MORE
Are we truly alone in this universe? The Red Planet may only be a drop in our immense cosmos, but Mars has always been a key place of curiosity when it has come to alien life. Now a high-tech camera could solve the age-old question: is there — or has there ever been — life…… MORE
In the same decade when gravitational waves and a neutron star merger have been observed, astronomers have now observed what they believe to be the first detection of a black hole swallowing a neutron star. Last Wednesday, gravitational wave detectors in Italy and the US, called LIGO and Virgo, detected telltale ripples in space and…… MORE
Researchers have found dust from an exploded star, or supernova, in snow from Antarctica, according to a study published this month. The discovery could provide lessons about the solar system’s history and place in its surrounding environment, the study, published August 12 in the Physical Review Letters, said. A supernova occurs when a star explodes…… MORE
Within the Atlantic Ocean is the world’s only sea without shores, its borders defined by the currents of the North Atlantic gyre. The Sargasso Sea takes its name from sargassum, a free-floating golden brown seaweed that is a haven for hatchling sea turtles and hundreds of other marine species who use it to feed, grow…… MORE
Last year, a nearby rocky world was spotted by NASA’s planet-hunting telescope TESS. Now, astronomers have been able to observe the planet using the Spitzer Space Telescope, taking a closer look at this intriguing world. The planet, called LHS 3884b, is 49 light-years away in the Indus constellation, orbiting a cool M-dwarf star that’s only…… MORE
Astronomers have discovered a second exoplanet hiding out in an intriguing star system. The Beta Pictoris system is 63.4 light-years from Earth. The star is very bright, and it’s surrounded by a giant disk made of dust, gas and debris — the leftovers of its formation. The star is also twice the mass of our…… MORE
In regions of the United States and Mexico that are prone to hurricanes, aggressive spiders are evolving to survive and ride out the storm. When hurricanes rage along the Gulf of Mexico or charge up the East Coast, they can reshape an entire habitat in a short time. The winds destroy trees and spread debris…… MORE
Here’s what you need to know to Start Your Week Smart. (You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. You give us five minutes, and we give you five things you must know for your weekday, plus a Sunday edition to get your week started smart. Sign up…… MORE
