hydrogen and helium, but their surrounding planetary systems can persist. Gravitational perturbations may eventually drive asteroids, moons or even whole planets into close proximity with the white dwarf, where tidal forces shred them into dust and gas....

object’s surface to disintegrate, releasing energy as visible light. Many meteors are fragments left behind by comets or asteroids. When Earth traverses regions populated by such debris, observers may witness heightened activity known as meteor showers....

archive. Over its decade-long mission, the NEOWISE telescope performed a systematic survey of the entire sky to track asteroids and near-Earth objects. However, its infrared sensors also captured the fluctuating light of distant quasars, supernovae, and...

differentiated interiors of much larger primordial moons. Similar to the materials found on Ceres and various main-belt asteroids, these silicates offer a glimpse into the internal makeup of now-destroyed satellites that were large enough to support...

improvements in water-efficient agriculture—such as vertical farming—and perhaps even the future import of resources from asteroids. Ultimately, the study suggests that the Moon may indeed hold enough water to support permanent human research outposts,...

science. While intentional impact missions like DART and Hayabusa2 have demonstrated the value of controlled strikes on asteroids, the Perseverance results prove that even unplanned debris can yield critical geological insights. By transforming mission...

relied on RNA to store genetic information and catalyze reactions before the emergence of DNA. While carbonaceous asteroids like Bennu have demonstrated that organic compounds, including sugars, can be delivered to Earth via space rocks, the question of...

host habitats or colonies in the future, given their relative stability and potential for resource extraction from nearby asteroids. As space agencies, such as NASA, continue to invest in Lagrange point missions, we may witness the dawn of a new era in...

planets exist. If such molecules are already present in interstellar clouds, they could later be incorporated into comets, asteroids, and young planets. Over time, these materials might deliver complex chemistry to planetary surfaces, including early...

A massive collision that carved the Moon’s largest basin appears to have driven widespread volatile loss, leaving an isotopic fingerprint that still survives in lunar materials billions of years later. From Earth, the Moon appears calm and unchanging,...

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled breathtaking, panoramic vistas of Mars, which now enable observers to view far-flung territories simultaneously in a single, unobstructed visual field. NASA has unveiled two...

A tiny Alaskan fossil uncovers an unexpected glimpse of the ancient Arctic, reshaping scientists’ view of the region’s past. New fossil teeth from Alaska’s Prince Creek Formation show that the Late Cretaceous Arctic was far from barren, supporting a...

See the 1873 comet as it swings close to Earth, giving binoculars a rare view and marking 150 years of scientific observations. Comet 10P/Tempel 2, discovered in the 19th century, will swing through the inner Solar System this summer under one of the...

Researchers use Hawaiian lava studies to unveil fresh techniques for decoding the Moon’s ancient volcanic history, offering new insights into lunar geology. A team of geologists from the University of Western Ontario has leveraged volcanic sites in...

New research suggests an icy ’Oumuamua lost massive amounts of material over millions of years, revealing a cosmic filter shaping interstellar visitors. Interstellar space might appear to be a vast, empty void, but for frozen objects drifting between...

JWST observations reveal shifting rings around the asteroid Chariklo, offering groundbreaking new insights into the evolution of our distant solar system. New data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has unveiled a surprising level of...

Mercury is shrinking faster than previously thought, as new research reveals that impact debris masked signs of the planet’s ongoing geological contraction. New evidence suggests Mercury has undergone significantly more structural contraction than...

Hidden faults reveal Mercury has shrunk by 23 kilometers, forcing scientists to rethink the planet’s core composition and long-term thermal history. For billions of years, Mercury has been cooling and shrinking, leaving behind a global network of...

After failed attempts to break open a mysterious red rock with tools and acid, researchers discovered it held a long-hidden, ancient cosmic secret. When David Hole began sweeping the clay-rich soils of Maryborough Regional Park with a metal detector in...

NASA has identified a rare, once-in-a-century lunar impact that created a massive 728-foot crater and sent shockwaves across 120 kilometers of the Moon. A routine comparative analysis of lunar imagery has unveiled a massive, previously unseen scar on...