The universe

Latest about The universe

a brown-and-yellow disk swirling around a bright white central core

Some planet-forming stars never 'grow up' and lose their 'Peter Pan' disks

By Nola Taylor Tillman published

Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to study a planet-forming disk around a low-mass star, finding it contains chemical signatures never seen before in such a disk.

Stars
An asteroid passes between Earth and the moon.

'City-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 could hit the moon instead of us, scientists say

By Pandora Dewan published

Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 2.3% chance of hitting Earth in the year 2032. But according to new estimates, it may have an even smaller chance of hitting the moon instead.

Asteroids
earth's core divided into layers

Continent-size blobs in Earth's mantle are a billion years old, ancient crystals reveal

By Skyler Ware published

New research suggests that dark energy isn't needed to explain the acceleration in the expansion of the universe — instead suggesting giant voids in space are creating an illusion.

Earth

Black holes: Everything you need to know

By Nola Taylor Tillman, Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference Black holes are some of the most fascinating objects in the universe.

Reference
The asteroid 2024 YT4 as seen by the 8.1 meter Gemini South telescope on Feb. 7, 2025

What the asteroid with a 1-in-48 chance of hitting Earth in 2032 looks like (images)

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers have captured a new image of the asteroid 2024 YR4, which now has a 1 in 48 chance of hitting Earth in 2032.

Asteroids
a highly detailed composite image of a star-forming region of space known as 30 Doradus, shaped like a bouquet, or a maple leaf. 30 Doradus is a powerful stellar nursery. In 23 days of observation, the Chandra X-ray telescope revealed thousands of distinct star systems. Chandra data also revealed a diffuse X-ray glow from winds blowing off giant stars, and X-ray gas expelled by exploding stars, or supernovas. In this image, the X-ray wind and gas takes the shape of a massive purple and pink bouquet with an extended central flower, or perhaps a leaf from a maple tree. The hazy, mottled shape occupies much of the image, positioned just to our left of center, tilted slightly to our left. Inside the purple and pink gas and wind cloud are red and orange veins, and pockets of bright white light. The pockets of white light represent clusters of young stars. One cluster at the heart of 30 Doradus houses the most massive stars astronomers have ever found. The hazy purple and pink bouquet is surrounded by glowing dots of green, white, orange, and red. A second mottled purple cloud shape, which resembles a ring of smoke, sits in our lower righthand corner.

Astronomers have brought you a space Valentine: The Tarantula of the cosmos

By Keith Cooper published

As the most intense star-forming region in the Local Group, 30 Doradus is of particular importance to astronomers.

The Universe
A simulation of vibing black holes in a cosmic love story

Black holes vibe together in a cosmic love story for Valentine's Day written in the stars

By Robert Lea published

Researchers have discovered that black holes engage in a cosmic dance and a star-lit meal to vibe with each other in a cosmic love story fit for Valentine's Day.

Black Holes
(Main) an illustration shows a Neptune like planet being dragged through space by its parent star (inset) Image visualizes stars near the center of our Milky Way galaxy. with colorfuls trail indicating its speed. The longer and redder, the faster a star is moving

Fastest exoplanet ever is dragged through space at 1.2 million mph by hypervelocity star

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers have discovered what seems to be a star racing through the Milky Way at 1.2 million mph, dragging a Neptune-sized planet along for the ride.

Exoplanets
An artist's impression of astronauts working on the surface of the moon.

Moon or Mars? Why not both, acting NASA head Janet Petro says

By Mike Wall published

NASA still views the moon as a stepping stone to Mars, even though Elon Musk has dismissed Earth's nearest neighbor as "a distraction."

The moon
night shining clouds on mars glow in reds and other iridescent colors as seen by a nasa rover

'Iridescent' clouds on Mars captured in Martian twilight in stunning NASA rover images (video)

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

"I'll always remember the first time I saw those iridescent clouds and was sure at first it was some color artifact."

Mars
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