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Image of a galaxy, with bright blue stars and pink nebulas on one side.

Close encounter sets galaxy ablaze with new stars

Posted by in Space | 7 days ago

A cosmic collision in action. Read more about what happens when 2 galaxies sideswipe each other.
Planet destroyed by white dwarf star.

How some planets can survive their stars’ deaths

Posted by in Space | 1 week ago

A new “survival guide for exoplanets” outlines how different kinds of planets fare when their host star dies. It suggests the smallest rocky worlds are the most likely to escape annihilation.
Animated map of lines along a tan terrain.

Video: Fly over Curiosity’s route on Mars

Posted by in Space | 1 week ago

Follow the route of NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover, as it moves to a new part of Mount Sharp, into an area scientists call the “clay-bearing unit”.
Dwarf planet Haumea and ring.

New insights about Haumea’s enigmatic ring

Posted by in Space | 2 weeks ago

Dwarf planet Haumea orbits in Pluto’s realm of the solar system. It’s the most distant little world known to have a ring. Scientists in Brazil have new insights on how Haumea’s ring maintains its nearly perfect circular shape.

Gray and white pattern, with smaller black blobs.

Shrinking moon might be generating moonquakes

Posted by in Space | 2 weeks ago

The moon is shrinking as its interior cools. As it shrinks, its crust wrinkles and cracks, forming “thrust faults” that, according to a new analysis, generate moonquakes.

A thin blue-white arc across a black background.

How Venus and Mars can teach us about Earth

Posted by in Earth | Space | 2 weeks ago

The atmospheres of our 2 neighbors Mars and Venus can teach us a lot about past and future scenarios for our own planet.
The curve of the Earth viewed from orbit, with a kite-shaped sail above it.

Lightsail 2 set to launch in June

Posted by in Space | 2 weeks ago

“We are go for launch!” said Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye. Funded by space enthusiasts, LightSail 2 aims to accomplish the 1st-ever, controlled solar sail flight in Earth orbit next month.

Simulating stars’ sounds to reveal their secrets

Posted by in Space | 2 weeks ago

“A cello sounds like a cello because of its size and shape,” said astronomer Jacqueline Goldstein. “The vibrations of stars also depend on their size and structure.”
Asteroid hitting Earth.

Asteroid strike simulation blasts New York City

Posted by in Earth | Space | 2 weeks ago

It seems like play, but they’re serious. Every year, at the Planetary Defense Conference, asteroid experts from around the globe run days-long simulations of asteroids headed for major cities. In 2019, it was New York City’s turn.

What Mars’ giant dust storm taught us

Posted by in Space | 2 weeks ago

Before we send people to Mars, we need to understand more about how Martian dust could affect astronauts and their equipment. Here are 3 things we’ve learned from the planet’s 2018 global dust storm.