Space Exploration News – Latest Headlines

Model describes nearby star which resembles ours in its youth

The work allows scientists to better understand what our Sun may have been like when it was young, and how it may have shaped the atmosphere of our planet and the development of life on Earth.

August 5, 2021 Read more

New study sheds light on the mysterious dimming of Betelgeuse

A new study sheds light on the nature of the mysterious dimming of Betelgeuse.

August 5, 2021 Read more

Space scientists reveal secret behind Jupiter's 'energy crisis'

Astronomers have created the most-detailed yet global map of the gas giant's upper atmosphere, confirming for the first time that Jupiter's powerful aurorae are responsible for delivering planet-wide heating.

August 4, 2021 Read more

Clay, not water, likely source of Mars 'lakes'

A new study appears to show that for the first time another material - a form of clay called smectites - is being attributed to the bright radar reflections that many scientists have for years believed to be water.

August 4, 2021 Read more

Microwave-powered rocket propulsion gets a boost

Researchers explore the possibility of launching rockets using a high-power beam of microwave radiation.

August 3, 2021 Read more

First detection of light echoes from behind a black hole

Light cannot escape from a black hole, but for the first time ever, researchers have observed light from behind a black hole - a scenario that was predicted by Einstein's theory of General Relativity but never confirmed, until now.

July 29, 2021 Read more

Scientists capture most-detailed radio image of Andromeda galaxy to date

Scientists have published a new, detailed radio image of the Andromeda galaxy - the Milky Way's sister galaxy - which will allow them to identify and study the regions of Andromeda where new stars are born.

July 28, 2021 Read more

Smoking-gun evidence for neutrinos' role in supernova explosions

Supernova explosions are sustained by neutrinos from neutron stars, a new observation suggests.

July 28, 2021 Read more

On the hunt for 'hierarchical' black holes

Black holes, detected by their gravitational wave signal as they collide with other black holes, could be the product of much earlier parent collisions. Such an event has only been hinted at so far, but scientists believe we are getting close to tracking down the first of these so-called hierarchical black holes.

July 27, 2021 Read more

Hubble finds first evidence of water vapor at Jupiter's moon Ganymede

For the first time, astronomers have uncovered evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of Jupiter's moon Ganymede. This water vapor forms when ice from the moon's surface sublimates - that is, turns from solid to gas.

July 26, 2021 Read more

The weather forecast for Venus

Space-based infrared imaging reveals the nighttime weather on Venus.

July 23, 2021 Read more

Astronomers make first clear detection of a moon-forming disc around an exoplanet

Astronomers have unambiguously detected the presence of a disc around a planet outside our Solar System for the first time. The observations will shed new light on how moons and planets form in young stellar systems.

July 22, 2021 Read more

James Webb Space Telescope to explore a neighboring, dusty planetary system

Researchers will take stock of the dust in the debris disk surrounding the nearby star Beta Pictoris.

July 21, 2021 Read more

Astrophysicist outlines plans for the gravitational wave observatory on the moon

The experiment, dubbed Gravitational-Wave Lunar Observatory for Cosmology, uses the moon's environment and geocentric orbit to analyze mergers of black holes, neuron stars and dark matter candidates within almost 70 percent of the entire observable volume of the universe.

July 21, 2021 Read more

Capturing electrons in space

How negatively charged molecules are created in interstellar environments.

July 21, 2021 Read more

Scientists further their investigation into the origin of elements in the universe

Scientists are trying to answer the question, what is the origin of elements in the universe? The answer is extremely complex. It requires a collaborative effort by researchers in many fields and an enormous amount of experimental data.

July 20, 2021 Read more

Millimeter-tall mountains on neutron stars

New models of neutron stars show that their tallest mountains may be only fractions of millimetres high, due to the huge gravity on the ultra-dense objects.

July 19, 2021 Read more

Galactic fireworks: New images reveal stunning features of nearby galaxies

A team of astronomers has released new observations of nearby galaxies that resemble colourful cosmic fireworks. The images show different components of the galaxies in distinct colours, allowing astronomers to pinpoint the locations of young stars and the gas they warm up around them.

July 16, 2021 Read more