Science
Black holes, dark matter, gravitational waves and exoplanets: find out how astronomy is unlocking the secrets of the Universe.
Scientists get clearest view ever of star collapsing into a black hole. And they very nearly missed it
Strange infrared glow found in archival data from a defunct NASA mission
Fungi discovered at Chernobyl could protect Mars astronauts from extreme radiation
Electric sparks detected in Mars dust storms. Why it could cause problems for humans on the Red Planet
A new threat awaiting the first human travellers to Mars?
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We asked an astronomer the biggest, trickiest questions about the Universe. These are his answers
We asked a radio astronomer to address some of the biggest unanswered questions about space and the Universe.
Big bang?! This is what would happen if you fired a gun in space
Is it possible to fire a gun in space? What would happen if you did?
Not all stars are white. This is every star a colour can be, and one star colour you'll never see
In this archive article, the late Patrick Moore considers the kaleidoscopic cosmos.
This distant solar system is like our own, except it's inside-out. Here's why that's a big deal
The discovery is challenging what we know about how planets form around stars
Hubble sees strange, sputtering vibrations from a dying star. This cosmic light show is the Egg Nebula
Hubble gives astronomers a fleeting glimpse of a key moment in a star's life
Jupiter is smaller and more squashed than we thought, says NASA
NASA's Juno spacecraft reveals the gas giant isn't as big as we thought
Aliens next door? If ET life does exist, these worlds close to Earth are our best chance of finding it
One image tracks the same cosmic object across space and time. It's all down to a strange quirk of physics
A new image sees the same dot across a century… and it had changed
Astronomers detected a strong signal from space lasting seven hours. Now they may have worked out what it was
In 2025, astronomers detected a blast from space. Now they’re uncovering the strange processes behind the exceptional outburst
Monster stars are discovered shortly after the Big Bang. And they may have solved a huge cosmic mystery
Planes grounded as extreme solar radiation hits essential flight controls. 6,000 jets affected
Airbus orders urgent software update after solar radiation risk identified
The latest images of insterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS
It started out as a small dot moving across a sea of stars in a black and white image, and now has evolved into a large, bright object with a glowing tail, courtesy of some of the best telescopes humanity has ever built. Comet 3I/ATLAS continues to amaze scientists, astronomers and even mere mortals like. And unsurprisingly, professional comet-watchers have been utilising our best observing engineering to find out as much as they can, while they can. That's because 3I/ATLAS is merely passing through our Solar System, and won't be around for long. Comet 3I/ATLAS is one of only three
3I/ATLAS breakthrough – ingredients for life and sharp brightening detected at interstellar visitor
Comet 3I/ATLAS is "releasing a cocktail of chemicals that haven’t been exposed to space for billions of years," say scientists
'This changes everything'. Scientists find ingredients for life on Earth in asteroid sample returned from space
Ribose and glucose detected in pristine dust samples from the asteroid Bennu
Are we destroying our window to the cosmos? Satellite trails could make space science nearly impossible, say astronomers
Researchers warn that satellite swarms may soon scar almost every image from low‑orbit telescopes
Astronauts get a weird feeling looking at Earth from space. It's the Overview Effect, and here's how it works
Looking back at Earth from the Moon had a profound effect on the Apollo astronauts
Confused about solar flares? 11 facts that reveal what they are and why they cause the aurora
We've never found an alien moon before. But here's why we're closer than ever
Exoplanet hunter George Dransfield reveals why we could be on the brink of finding the first known exomoon
Yet another strong flare erupts from the Sun. Could we be in for an aurora weekend?
Stronger aurora displays could be visible on 4–6 February
Why planetary alignments happen
The planetary alignment of January 2025 caused quite a stir online, with many people wanting to know more about this apparently unique parade of planets in the night sky, and why it happens. There were even some outlets purporting that the planets would be aligned in the sky for one night only, making 21 January 2025 the only time to see these Solar System worlds together in a single view. In truth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were visible for weeks before this date, and still visible into early February 2025. Being able to see six planets in
How many galaxies are there in the universe?
Do astronomers know how many galaxies exist? How many can we see in the observable Universe?
