Space Exploration News – Latest Headlines

Webb finds carbon source on surface of Jupiter's moon Europa

Astronomers have identified carbon dioxide in a specific region on the icy surface of Europa. Analysis indicates that this carbon likely originated in the subsurface ocean and was not delivered by meteorites or other external sources.

September 22, 2023 Read more

How the 'cosmic rulebook' of galaxy formation was rewritten

Early galaxies followed a formation 'rulebook', according to researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope, but this cosmic rulebook appears to have been dramatically rewritten during the universe's infancy.

September 22, 2023 Read more

New Mars gravity analysis improves understanding of possible ancient ocean

The first use of a novel method of analyzing Mars' gravitational force supports the idea that the planet once had an extensive northern ocean.

September 20, 2023 Read more

Black holes eat faster than previously expected

A new study is changing the way astrophysicists understand the eating habits of supermassive black holes. While previous researchers have hypothesized that black holes eat slowly, new simulations indicate that black holes scarf food much faster than conventional understanding suggests.

September 20, 2023 Read more

New findings suggest Moon may have less water than previously thought

Moon's permanently shadowed regions are younger than previously estimated.

September 18, 2023 Read more

Supermassive black holes alter galactic chemistry

New research shows that the supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy can have a direct impact on the chemical distribution of the host galaxy. This provides another piece of the puzzle for understanding how galaxies evolve.

September 15, 2023 Read more

Webb confirms accuracy of universe's expansion rate measured by Hubble, deepens mystery of Hubble constant tension

A persistent difference called the 'Hubble Tension' is seen between the value of the constant measured with a wide range of independent distance indicators and its value predicted from the big bang afterglow.

September 14, 2023 Read more

Carbon atoms coming together in space

Lab-based studies reveal how carbon atoms diffuse on the surface of interstellar ice grains to form complex organic compounds, crucial to reveal the chemical complexity in the universe.

September 14, 2023 Read more

Electrons from Earth may be forming water on the Moon

Scientists discovered that high energy electrons in Earth's plasma sheet are contributing to weathering processes on the Moon's surface and, importantly, the electrons may have aided the formation of water on the lunar surface.

September 14, 2023 Read more

Matter comprises of 31% of the total amount of matter and energy in the universe

A research team relies on measuring the number of galaxy members to determine the mass of galaxy clusters.

September 14, 2023 Read more

Titanic galaxy cluster collision in the early Universe challenges standard cosmology

A collision of two massive clusters of galaxies when the Universe was half its current age should not have happened according to the standard theory of cosmology, says a new study by an international group of astronomers.

September 14, 2023 Read more

Study hints at the existence of the closest black holes to Earth in the Hyades star cluster

A new study hints at the existence of several black holes in the Hyades cluster - the closest open cluster to our solar system - which would make them the closest black holes to Earth ever detected.

September 8, 2023 Read more

Furthest ever detection of a galaxy's magnetic field

Astronomers have detected the magnetic field of a galaxy so far away that its light has taken more than 11 billion years to reach us: we see it as it was when the Universe was just 2.5 billion years old.

September 6, 2023 Read more

Webb reveals new structures within iconic supernova

Small crescent-like structures come into clear view.

September 1, 2023 Read more

New giant planet evidence of possible planetary collisions

A Neptune-sized planet denser than steel has been discovered by an international team of astronomers, who believe its composition could be the result of a giant planetary clash.

September 1, 2023 Read more

When dating a meteorite, be wary of aluminium-26

A new analysis of an old meteorite from the Sahara Desert suggests that a radioactive chemical known as aluminium-26, may not be as reliable for dating meteorites as previously thought because it was unevenly distributed throughout the solar system.

August 29, 2023 Read more

'Thermometer' molecule confirmed on exoplanet WASP-31b

Chromium hydride, a molecule that's relatively rare and particularly sensitive to temperature, is useful as a 'thermometer for stars' because it is abundant only in a narrow range between 1,200-2,000 degrees Kelvin.

August 28, 2023 Read more

Ringing protons give insight into early Universe

A new study sheds light on the 3D structure of nucleon resonances.

August 22, 2023 Read more