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A new five-year survey of the Magellanic Clouds will answer some questions about our neighbors

The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are irregular dwarf galaxies and satellites of the Milky Way. The LMC is about 163,000 light-years away and the SMC is about 206,000 light-years away, and their close proximity makes them excellent laboratories for the study of galaxies in general. The Clouds are the focus of a new research […]

Neutron star P13 shows dramatic X-ray variability linked to rotation velocity

A research team has investigated long-term X-ray variability in the neutron star NGC 7793 P13, an object thought to be driven by supercritical accretion, where an extraordinary amount of gas falls onto the object and emits intense X-rays. The team found a relation between the X-ray luminosity and the rotation velocity, which could provide clues […]

Supernova immersion model suggests Earth-like planets are more common in the universe

Rocky planets like our Earth may be far more common than previously thought, according to new research published in the journal Science Advances. It suggests that when our solar system formed, a nearby supernova (the massive explosion of a star near the end of its life) bathed it in cosmic rays containing the radioactive ingredients […]

Why SpaceX IPO plan is generating so much buzz

More than 20 years after founding SpaceX, the record-breaking company that transformed the global space industry, Elon Musk is planning to take the enterprise public.

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Comet 3I/ATLAS displays greenish hue in new Gemini North telescope images

Gemini North captured new images of Comet 3I/ATLAS after it reemerged from behind the sun on its path out of the solar system. The data were collected during a Shadow the Scientists session—a unique outreach initiative that invites students around the world to join researchers as they observe the universe on the world’s most advanced […]

SpaceX launches 1st of 5 missions on tap in next 8 days on Florida’s Space Coast

SpaceX and United Launch Alliance are combining for a busy week of rocket launches on the Space Coast.

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Musk signals plan to launch IPO for SpaceX

Elon Musk has signaled plans to soon seek a public stock listing of SpaceX, confirming a report that links the strategic shift to a near-term need for more capital.

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Parker Solar Probe spies solar wind ‘U-turn’

Images captured by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe as the spacecraft made its record-breaking closest approach to the sun in December 2024 have now revealed new details about how solar magnetic fields responsible for space weather escape from the sun—and how sometimes they don’t.

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Unlocking the sun’s magnetic secrets: AI-powered mapping reveals intricate 3D details

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy (IfA) are helping reshape how scientists study the sun. The UH-led team has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can map the sun’s magnetic field in three dimensions with unprecedented accuracy, supporting research tied to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye […]

Reading the ‘light fingerprints’ of dead satellites

There are already tens of thousands of pieces of large debris in orbit, some of which pose a threat to functional satellites. Various agencies and organizations have been developing novel solutions to this problem, before it turns into full-blown Kessler Syndrome. But many of them are reliant on understanding what is going on with the […]

NASA robot rover shows that sparks fly in dust storms on Mars

Sometimes you get a small electric shock from touching your car door handle on a dry summer’s day.

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NASA-JAXA XRISM finds elemental bounty in supernova remnant

For the first time, scientists have made a clear X-ray detection of chlorine and potassium in the wreckage of a star using data from the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) spacecraft.

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Record-breaking cosmic explosion challenges astronomers’ understanding of gamma-ray bursts

Astronomers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have helped uncover new clues about the longest-lasting cosmic explosion ever observed, a gamma-ray burst that lasted nearly seven hours. The event, known as GRB 250702B, challenges decades of understanding about how and why these bursts occur.

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Webb reveals double helium tails escaping from a ‘hot Jupiter’

For the first time, scientists have continuously monitored a planet’s escaping atmosphere over a complete orbit, revealing that the gas giant WASP-121 b is surrounded by not one but two massive helium tails stretching more than halfway around its star.

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China outlines future plans in new video, including finding Earth 2.0

In a recent Hot Take segment, the China Global Television Network recently released an interesting video detailing China’s future plans for space. Titled “Earth 2.0? China’s plan to find new Earth,” the video actually details four missions that the China National Space Agency (CNSA) has planned as part of the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). […]