Space Exploration News – Latest Headlines
Subscribe to our Space Exploration News feed
Study reveals asymmetry in spin directions of galaxies
An analysis of more than 200,000 spiral galaxies has revealed unexpected links between spin directions of galaxies, and the structure formed by these links might suggest that the early universe could have been spinning.
June 1, 2020 Read more
Scientists have discovered a new type of matter inside neutron stars
A research group has found strong evidence for the presence of exotic quark matter inside the cores of the largest neutron stars in existence. The conclusion was reached by combining recent results from theoretical particle and nuclear physics to measurements of gravitational waves from neutron star collisions.
June 1, 2020 Read more
Astronomers find cosmic golden needle buried for two decades
Astronomers made innovative use of their time while sheltering at home due to the pandemic by combing through W. M. Keck Observatory and NASA archive data. They rediscovered the first Einstein ring and found the distance of its source was never measured. The researchers are the first to make the calculation and found the quasar to be 10 billion light-years away, or a redshift of z=1.849.
June 1, 2020 Read more
4-billion-year-old nitrogen-containing organic molecules discovered in Martian meteorites
Using advanced techniques, scientists have detected organic compounds containing nitrogen in Martian meteorites which were ejected from Mars' surface some 15 million years ago, proving that evidence for early life can be preserved and detected today.
May 29, 2020 Read more
In planet formation, it's location, location, location
Astronomers are finding that planets have a tough time forming in the rough-and-tumble central region of the massive, crowded star cluster Westerlund 2. Located 20,000 light-years away, Westerlund 2 is a unique laboratory to study stellar evolutionary processes because it's relatively nearby, quite young, and contains a large stellar population.
May 28, 2020 Read more
Mergers between galaxies trigger activity in their core
Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) play a major role in galaxy evolution. Astronomers have now used a record-sized sample of galaxies to confirm that galaxy mergers have a positive effect on igniting AGNs.
May 28, 2020 Read more
ESPRESSO confirms the presence of an Earth around the nearest star
The existence of a planet the size of Earth around the closest star in the solar system, Proxima Centauri, has been confirmed by an international team of scientists.
May 28, 2020 Read more
Cosmic bursts unveil universe's missing matter
Astronomers have used mysterious fast radio bursts to solve a decades-old mystery of 'missing matter', long predicted to exist in the Universe but never detected - until now.
May 28, 2020 Read more
Under pressure, black holes feast
A new study shows that some supermassive black holes actually thrive under pressure.
May 27, 2020 Read more
Astrophysicists capture new class of transient objects
'A new beast is out there', astrophysicist says of object found in tiny galaxy.
May 27, 2020 Read more
Astronomers create cloud atlas for hot, Jupiter-like exoplanets
Model predicts likelihood of exotic clouds on hot Jupiters; finds mostly silicate clouds.
May 27, 2020 Read more
The evolutionary history of the Milky Way determined in more detail than ever
An international team of astronomers has presented a study which shows the crucial role of the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy in the evolution of our galaxy. These results also hint that the Sun might have been formed due to one of the interactions of this nearby galaxy with the Milky Way.
May 26, 2020 Read more
Solving the space junk problem
Internationally agreed upon fees to put satellites in orbit could boost value of the space industry.
May 26, 2020 Read more
Astronomers see 'cosmic ring of fire', 11 billion years ago
Unusual galaxy set to prompt rethink on how structures in the universe form.
May 25, 2020 Read more
Astronomers spot twinkling heart of milky way
Astronomers found quasi-periodic flickers in millimeter-waves from the center of the Milky Way. The team interpreted these blinks to be due to the rotation of radio spots circling the supermassive black hole with an orbit radius smaller than that of Mercury. This is an interesting clue to investigate space-time with extreme gravity.
May 22, 2020 Read more
New gravitational-wave model can bring neutron stars into even sharper focus
Gravitational-wave researchers have developed a new model that promises to yield fresh insights into the structure and composition of neutron stars.
May 21, 2020 Read more
How cosmic rays may have shaped life
Astrophysicists propose that the influence of cosmic rays on early life may explain nature's preference for a uniform 'handedness' among biology's critical molecules.
May 21, 2020 Read more
Massive rotating disk galaxy challenges the traditional models of galaxy formation
The discovery of the Wolfe Disk galaxy provides a challenge for many galaxy formation simulations, which predict that massive galaxies at this point in the evolution of the cosmos grew through many mergers of smaller galaxies and hot clumps of gas.
May 20, 2020 Read more