Two physicists say the universe's expansion has sped up, then slowed down, 7 times since time began. They describe this oscillation as the universe "ringing."
A Neptune-sized exoplanet is being trailed by an immense cloud of hydrogen. This discovery might also suggest a method for detecting extrasolar oceans.
The search for life beyond Earth has heated up. Here are some of the ways that scientists have been thinking and talking about it, including a definition of new buzzword: biosignatures.
Our sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy, which is 100 thousand light-years wide and contains 100 billion stars. Looking into the Milky Way ...
Storms on the sun sent giant plasma clouds across space, which interacted with Earth's magnetic field. See photos of this week's fabulous displays of auroras.
It's due to arrive sometime today (June 22, 2015). NOAA forecasters estimate a 90% chance of polar geomagnetic storms when the CME arrives. Aurora alert!
Jupiter's moon Europa is a promising place to look for life beyond Earth. A new mission to Europa is now moving forward from concept review to development.
The newly found galaxy, labelled CR7, is three times brighter than the brightest distant galaxy known up to now. It may contain some of the first stars.
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.